ATI Technologies Radeon X550 Series User manual

Radeon ® X550
Series
User’s Guide
P/N 137-40892-10

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Copyright © 2005, ATI TechnologiesInc. All rights reserved.
ATI, the ATI logo, and 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
registeredtrademarksoftheirrespective owners.Features,performanceandspecificationsaresubject
to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in diagrams.
Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form, without the express written permission of
ATI Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited.
Disclaimer
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, ATI Technologies Inc.
assumes no liability with respect to the operation or use of ATI hardware, software or other products
and documentation described herein, for any act or omission of ATI concerning such products or this
documentation, for any interruption of service, loss or interruption of business, loss ofanticipatory
profits, or for punitive,incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing,
performance, or use of the ATI hardware, software, or other products and documentation provided
herein.
ATI Technologies Inc. reserves the right to make changes without further notice to a productor system
described herein to improve reliability, function or design. With respect to ATI products which this
document relates, ATI disclaims all express or implied warranties regarding such products, including
but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-
infringement.
Macrovision
Apparatus Claims of U.S. Patent Nos.4,631,603, 4,577,216, 4,819,098, and 4,907,093 licensed for
limited viewing uses only.
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of certain
U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and other rights
owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision Corporation,
and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by
Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.

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LIMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should
be read before the product is operated.
•Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be
retained for future reference.
•Heed Warnings - All warnings on the product and the operating
instructions should be adhered to.
•Compatibility - This option card is for use only with IBM AT or
compatible UL Listed personal computers that have Installation
Instructions detailing user installation of card cage accessories.
•Grounding - For continued protection against risk of electric shock
and fire, this accessory should be installed only in products equipped
with a three-wire grounding plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin.
This plug will only fit into a grounding-type power outlet. This is a
safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet,
contact your electrician to replace the obsolete outlet. Do not defeat
the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug.
•Secure Attachment - All card securement pins shall be completely
tightened as to provide continuous bonding between the option card
and the PC chassis.
•Lightning - For added protection for this product during a lightning
storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of
time, unplug it from the wall outlet, and disconnect the antenna or
cable system. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning
and power-line surges.
•Power Lines - An outside antenna system should not be located in
the vicinity of overhead power lines or other light or power circuits, or
where it can fall into such power lines or circuits.
•Antenna Installation - When installing an outside antenna system,
extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines
or circuits, as contact with them may be fatal.

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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements 1
External Connections 1
Using Multiple Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Connecting Your Monitors 3
Display Configurations 5
ATI’s CATALYST™ Software Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Introduction 7
Features 7
Multiple Displays and 3D Gaming 7
HydraVision™ 7
Accessing the Catalyst™ Software Suite 7
ATI Displays Tab 8
Dynamic Display Reassignment 10
ATI Color Tab 11
Color Hotkeys Settings 14
ATI Options Tab 16
ATI Rotation Tab 17
Rotation HotKeys 19
ATI Overlay Tab 20
Video Overlay 20
Clone Mode Settings 21
ATI 3D Tab 23
Custom Properties Dialog 25
Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings 28
OpenGL® Compatibility Settings 29
ATI VPU Recover Tab 30
Using TV Display and Capture Features. . . . . . . 33
Using TV Out 33
Viewing Your PC’s Display on a TV 33
Connecting to a TV 33
Starting Windows® with TV Display Enabled 34
Using and Adjusting TV Display Features 35
TV Display Hardware Restrictions 35
Using a Monitor vs. Using TV Display 35

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Adjusting Monitor Display 35
Viewing Text on a TV 36
Reducing Edge Distortion 36
Using a TV as the Only Display 36
Using Games and Applications 36
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Uninstall Old Graphics Card Software 37
Windows® New Hardware Found 37
Installing the Catalyst™ Software Suite 38
Solution Selector 39
Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
FCC Compliance Information 41
Industry Canada Compliance Statement 41
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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CHAPTER 1:
Introduction
System Requirements
External Connections
• 15-pin D-shell (female) VGA output.
• DVI-I output.
• S-Video output.
Hardware • Intel® Pentium® 4.
• 128 MB of system memory; 256 MB or more for best
performance.
• Motherboard with free PCI Express® slot and correct
PCIe™ chipset-driver.
• CD-ROM drive (for installation software).
• 350 watt or greater power supply recommended.
Operating
System • Windows® XP (Home or Pro).
• Windows® 2000
Monitor • High-resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency monitors
or any other type of VGA monitor.
• Digital flat-panel (DFP) displays or digital CRT display.

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CHAPTER 2:
Using Multiple Displays
Connecting Your Monitors
Your Radeon ® X550 Series provides hardware support for one DVI-I
monitor or two VGA monitors using the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter.
It also provides TV output via a S-Video Out or Composite Out connector.
Connections and Adapters for the Radeon ® X550 Series Card
XStandard VGA Monitor Connector. To connect a VGA monitor
to the DVI-I connector, plug the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter
into the DVI-I connector, then plug your monitor cable into the
adapter.
YDVI-I-to-VGA Adapter.

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Note: If you use multiple monitors, the Radeon ® X550 Series card
must be the primary graphics card. Normally, the system BIOS
determines which graphics card will be the primary.
To connect your monitors
1Power off your computer and monitors.
2Plug the monitor cables into their appropriate connectors.
ZDVI-I Backplate Connection. To connect a flat panel, plug the
monitors DVI-I connector into the DVI-I connection.
XDVI-I Backplate Connection. To connect a flat panel, plug the
monitors DVI-I connector into the DVI-I connection.
YDVI-I Backplate Connection. To connect a flat panel, plug the
monitors DVI-I connector into the DVI-I connection.
Connections and Adapters for the Radeon ® X550 Series Card