ATI Technologies Radeon 9700 Series User manual

Getting Started Guide
P/N 117-40154-60
Copyright © 2003, ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
ATI and all ATI product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features, performance
and specifications are subject to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as
shown in the diagrams.
Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form, without the express written
permission of ATI Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited.

ii
Table of Contents
Welcome......................................................................... 1
Do This First! ................................................................. 1
Uninstalling Old Graphics Card Software ................... 3
Installing Your ATI Graphics Card ............................... 4
Installing a RADEON 9700/9500 Series ....................... 6
Installing a RADEON 9800 Series ................................ 8
NTSC/PAL Support............................................................10
Using the connectors ................................................. 11
Windows® New Hardware Found .............................. 12
Installing the CATALYST™ Software Suite............... 13
Troubleshooting Tips.................................................. 15
Using the Electronic User’s Guide............................. 16
Getting Additional Accessories ................................. 16
Warranty Information .................................................. 17
Product Warranty Registration ........................................... 17
Customer Service................................................................ 17
Hardware Warranty Service Statement .............................. 18
Warranty Service ................................................................ 19
Compliance Information ............................................. 21
FCC Compliance Information ........................................... 21
Industry Canada Compliance Statement............................. 22
CE Compliance Information...............................................22
L’Information de conformité de la CE ............................... 23
CE-befolgungInformationen............................................... 23

iii

Getting Started 1
Welcome
Congratulations on the purchase of your ATI Graphics
Accelerator card! Carefully complete the following
simple steps to install your new video card. Soon you
will experience the ultimate in graphics performance on
your very own computer.
Do This First!
To ensure a successful installation of your ATI Graphics
Accelerator card, you MUST do the following
BEFORE replacing your current graphics card with your
new ATI card:
Install AGP Drivers for non-Intel Chipset Based
Motherboards. Several AGP motherboard
manufacturers use non-Intel AGP chipsets. Chipsets
include those made by Acer Laboratories (ALI),
Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS), and VIA
Technologies, Inc. Each non-Intel chipset requires
the installation of a custom Virtual GART (AGP)
Driver. This driver is required by your new ATI card
to function correctly with your motherboard. It is
very important that the correct AGP driver be
installed before installing an AGP video card in your
system.
This section applies to AGP Graphic Accelerator
cards only.
An incorrect or missing GART driver can
result in AGP memory not being detected or a
black screen after Windows®loads.
i

2 Getting Started
How to determine what motherboard chipset is present
on your system:
1Right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
2Click the (Hardware Tab in Windows®
2000/Windows®XP) Device Manager tab then scroll to
the bottom of the device list.
3Select System Devices.
4Scroll through the list of System Devices until you find
a listing for the AGP controller.
5The chipset manufacturer’s name will appear as the
device name.
Once you have determined the chipset manufacturer for
your motherboard, obtain and then install the latest AGP
drivers from:
VIA Technologies http://www.viaarena.com
Acer Laboratories (ALI) http://www.ali.com.tw
Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS) http://www.sis.com
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
http://www.amd.com
Intel Technologies http://support.intel.com
General Motherboard/chipset information
http://www.motherboards.org
More information on this topic can be found at
http://www.ati.com/support/faq/
agpchipsetdrivers.html

Getting Started 3
Uninstalling Old Graphics Card
Software
To ensure successful installation of your ATI Graphics
Accelerator card, you must uninstall the graphic drivers
for the existing graphics card before removing it from
your computer.
To uninstall old graphics drivers
With your current graphics card still in your computer:
1Close all applications that are currently running.
2Click Start, Settings, Control Panel and select
Add/Remove Programs.
3Select your current graphic drivers and click
Add/Remove…
4*The Wizard will help you remove your current display
drivers.
5The System should be restarted after the drivers have
been removed.
*If the previously installed graphics card has any
additional software installed, they may also need to be
removed at this point. (For example DVD Player,
Multimedia applications, etc.)

4 Getting Started
Installing Your ATI Graphics Card
You are now ready to install your card. (RADEON 9800
Series users see Installing a RADEON 9800 Series on
page 8 and 9700/9500 Series users see Installing a
RADEON 9700/9500 Series on page 6.) If you are not
sure whether your card is PCI or AGP, compare the
bottom edge of your card with the following illustration:

Getting Started 5
1Power-off the computer and monitor.
2Disconnect the monitor cable from the back of your
computer.
3Remove the computer cover.
If necessary, consult your computer’s manual for help in
removing the cover.
4Remove any existing graphics card from your
computer.
If your computer has an on-board graphics
capability, you may need to disable it on the
motherboard. For more information, see your
computer documentation.
5After locating the AGP or PCI slot, and if necessary,
removing the metal cover:
•Alignyour ATI Graphics Accelerator card with the
AGP/PCI slot.
•Pressit in firmly until the card is fully seated.
6Replace the screw to fasten the card in place, and
replace the computer cover.
7Plug the monitor cable into your card.
8Turn on the computer and monitor.
Remember to discharge your body’s static
electricity by touching the metal surface of the
computer chassis.

6 Getting Started
Installing a RADEON 9700/9500 Series
Connecting to the Hard Drive power connector
Complete the instructions for removing the old video
card and software found at Uninstalling Old Graphics
Card Software on page 3.
Use the supplied Power Extension Cable to connect the
RADEON 9700/9500 Series to the computer’s Hard
Drive power connector.
1Locate the AGP slot, if necessary, removing the
metal cover:
• Align your ATI Graphics Accelerator card with the
AGP slot.
• Press it in firmly until the card is fully seated.
2Remove the power cable from the Hard Drive power
connector.
3Connect Aof the Power Extension Cable to the
RADEON 9700/9500 Series power connector as
shown. (The cable may already be connected to the
graphics card.)
4Connect Bto the power supply connector.
5Connect Cto the Hard Drive power connector
The RADEON 9700/9500 Series requires
connection to your PC’s internal power supply
for operation. Consult your system builder or
OEM to ensure your system has an adequate
power supply. Otherwise ATI recommends a
300 watt power supply or greater to ensure
normal system operation where a number of
other internal devices are installed.

Getting Started 7
6Replace the screw to fasten the card in place, and
replace the computer cover.
7Plug the monitor cable into your card.
8Turn on the computer and monitor.
Your computer will beep and a warning
message may appear on the display and
the boot process will stop if the
RADEON 9700/9500 Series is not
correctly connected to the power supply.

8 Getting Started
Installing a RADEON 9800 Series
Connecting to the Hard Drive power connector
Complete the instructions for removing the old video
card and software found at Uninstalling Old Graphics
Card Software on page 3.
For users living in countries that use the PAL Television
standard see NTSC/PAL Support on page 10.
Use the supplied Power Extension Cable to connect the
RADEON 9800 Series to the computer’s Hard Drive
power connector.
1Locate the AGP slot, if necessary, removing the
metal cover:
• Align your ATI Graphics Accelerator card with the
AGP slot.
• Press it in firmly until the card is fully seated.
2Remove the power cable from the Hard Drive power
connector.
3Connect Aof the Power Extension Cable to the
RADEON 9800 Series power connector as shown. (The
cable may already be connected to the graphics card.)
4Connect Bto the power supply connector.
5Connect Cto the Hard Drive power connector.
The RADEON 9800 Series requires connection
to your PC’s internal power supply for
operation. Consult your system builder or OEM
to ensure your system has an adequate power
supply. Otherwise ATI recommends a 300 watt
power supply or greater to ensure normal
system operation where a number of other
internal devices are installed.

Getting Started 9
6Replace the screw to fasten the card in place, and
replace the computer cover.
7Plug the monitor cable into your card.
8Turn on the computer and monitor.
Your computer will beep and a warning
message may appear on the display and
the boot process will stop if the
RADEON 9800 Series is not correctly
connected to the power supply.

10 Getting Started
NTSC/PAL Support
The RADEON 9800 Series provides both NTSC and
PAL support. NTSC is the TV standard used in North
America. PAL is the TV standard for most of Europe.
To change the setting to PAL:
1Remove the RADEON 9800 Series from your
computer.
2Locate the orange switch near the fan (see illustration
on page 9).
3Use a sharp pencil to move slider switch number 1 as
shown in the illustration.
4Re-install the graphics accelerator card into your
computer.
The default setting for the RADEON 9800 Series is
NTSC. If you live in North America there is no need
to change this setting unless you intend to use PAL
standard equipment (for example, PAL
Camcorder/PAL VCR).
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Getting Started 11
Using the connectors
The following illustration shows all possible
connector combinations. Your specific ATI Graphics
Accelerator card may not have all the shown
connectors.
S-VID OUT and COMP OUT ports are both shown
here to illustrate the connections. Your card will
have one or the other, not both.
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12 Getting Started
The optional S-Video TV Out connector on your ATI
Graphics Accelerator card can be used to connect to your
TV, VCR, or camcorder. If your TV, VCR, or camcorder
only supports a composite connector, a S-Video-to-
Composite connector can be purchased that allows you
to connect to a device with a composite connector. See
Getting Additional Accessories on page 16.
Windows
®
New Hardware Found
Windows may start the Add New Hardware Wizard to
install the Standard VGA Driver. To correctly install
your new hardware:
Cancel the Wizard if you are using Windows®2000 or
Windows®XP, and proceed to Installing the
CATALYST™ Software Suite on page 13.
If the Add New Hardware Wizard does not appear,
proceed to Installing the CATALYST™ Software Suite
on page 13.
If the Add New Hardware Wizard does appear:
1Click Next to allow Windows®to search for the
Standard VGA or Standard PCI Graphics Adapter.
If prompted for the Windows®CD-ROM, insert it
into your CD-ROM drive.
2Type the following: D:\<Operating System name> for
example D:\WinME
If Dis not your CD-ROM drive, substitute D with the
correct drive letter.
3Click OK.
4Click Finish to close the Wizard. The system should
now be restarted.

Getting Started 13
Installing the CATALYST
™
Software
Suite
ATI’s CATALYST software suite provides the ultimate
software required to enjoy the full acceleration of your
ATI Graphics Accelerator card. The CATALYST software
suite comprises four, distinct software elements:
•Driver.
• Multimedia Center.
• HydraVision (not included in the Express Install).
• Remote Wonder Software.
To ensure you install the latest software, use the ATI
Installation CD-ROM that shipped with your ATI
Graphics Accelerator card.
To install the CATALYST software suite
1Insert the ATI INSTALLATION CD-ROM into your
CD-ROM drive.
If Windows®runs the CD-ROM automatically,
proceed to step 6.
2Click Start.
3Select Run.
4Type the following: D:\ATISETUP
(If Dis not your CD-ROM drive, substitute D with the
correct drive letter.)
5Click OK.
6Click Install under Software Install.
7Click Next.
8Click Yes to the license agreement.
9ATI Easy Install to begin the Installation Wizard.

14 Getting Started
10 Follow the Wizard’s on-screen instructions to complete
the installation.
The Express installation option is recommended. If
your ATI Graphics Accelerator card includes a
multimedia component, the software for that
component will automatically be installed, along
with the ATI graphics driver.
Not all software components are installed using the
Express installation. Custom installation allows you
to select individual software components for
installation.

Getting Started 15
Troubleshooting Tips
The following troubleshooting tips may help if you
experience problems. Contact your dealer or ATI for
more advanced troubleshooting information.
• Check that the card is seated properly in the AGP or
PCI slot.
• Ensure that the monitor cable is securely fastened to
the card’s monitor connector.
• Make sure that the monitor and computer are plugged
in and receiving power.
• If necessary, disable any built-in graphics capabilities
on your motherboard. For more information, consult
your computer’s manual or manufacturer. (NOTE:
Some manufacturers do not allow the built-in graphics
to be disabled or to become the secondary display.)
• For more troubleshooting tips, right-click the ATI icon
in the taskbar and select Troubleshooting.
• If you have problems during bootup, start your
computer in Safe Mode. Hold the CTRL key until the
Microsoft®Windows®Startup Menu appears on the
screen. Then select the number for Safe Mode, and
press Enter. (You can also use F8 to bring up the
Microsoft®Windows®Startup Menu.) In Safe Mode,
go to the Device Manager and remove all duplicate
display adapter and monitor entries if you are only
using one graphics card.
• For more assistance, use the Troubleshooting Guide
located in the Windows®Help or contact your
computer manufacturer.

16 Getting Started
Using the Electronic User’s Guide
Your ATI Graphics Accelerator card comes complete with
a User’s Guide in Portable Document Format (PDF). The
User’s Guide describes in detail the features and
functions of your ATI Graphics Accelerator card and the
associated software. You will need the latest Adobe®
Acrobat®Reader®software available from
www.adobe.com
To open the User’s Guide
1Insert the ATI INSTALLATION CD-ROM into your
CD-ROM drive.
2If Windows®runs the CD-ROM automatically, proceed
to step 6.
3Click Start.
4Select Run.
5Type the following: D:\ATISETUP
(If Dis not your CD-ROM drive, substitute D with the
correct drive letter.)
6Click OK.
7Click Documentation.
8Click User Guides.
Getting Additional Accessories
Additional and replacement cables, installation
CD-ROMs, manuals and other accessories for ATI
products can be purchased from the online ATI store at
http://www.ati.com/online/accessories

Getting Started 17
Warranty Information
Product Warranty Registration
To receive Customer Service you must register your
product with ATI.
Online Product Warranty Registration is available at:
http://www.ati.com/online/registration
Customer Service
For detailed instructions on how to use your ATI
product, refer to the Online User’s Guide included on
your ATI Installation CD-ROM.
If you require further assistance with your product, the
following options are available:
Online:
For product information, video drivers, Frequently
Asked Questions and Email support visit:
http://www.ati.com and select Customer Service for
Built By ATI products.
Telephone:
Available Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
*905-882-2626
*Access to Telephone Support is available to registered
users at no additional cost for the first 30 days from the
date of purchase (long distance charges may apply). For
complete details please visit:
http://www.ati.com/online/customercare