Colorful ATI Series User manual

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
Colorful Graphics Card
ATI Series
User’s Manual
Colorful Technology Website: http://www.colorful.cn

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
Copyright
This VGA manual belongs to Colorful Technology LTD. It won’t be permitted to copy, change, or
translate without prior permission.
Disclaimer
All trademarks used in this manual are the sole property of their respective owners.
WARRANTY VOID CONDITIONS
The product is guaranteed for 24 months from the date of original purchase from Colorful graphics
card. This limited warranty does not cover any failure(s) or defect(s) caused by misuse, accident,
abnormal or unusually heavy use, improper packaging or handling, neglect, abuse, alteration,
improper installation, unauthorized repair or modification, improper testing or causes external to the
product such as, but not limited to, excessive heat or humidity, power failures, power surges or acts
of God. This limited warranty will be void if evidence is seen of screw holes created by
Distributor, burned-out chips, more than four wires are broken on the PCB, or evidence of repair
work performed by a party other than colorful. This limited warranty does not cover expendable
components, any software supplied by colorful, any experimental or developmental products,
compatibility issues with other hardware and software products introduced after the time of
purchase, or products or accessories not manufactured by colorful
CAUTION!!
DO NOT force the cooler against
the fragile GPU to avoid damage
to the GPU.
WARNING!!
DO NOT touch the cooling
system since it may produce a
certain heat while processing
tasks.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Packing Contents......................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 How to install............................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 Driver Installation..................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Driver installation in Windows Vista........................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 3 ATI Catalyst Control Center in Vista ........................................................................................................ 9
3.1 ATI Catalyst Control Center Introduction.................................................................................................... 9
3.1.1 How to open theATI Catalyst Control Center.................................................................................. 9
3.2 ATI Catalyst Control Center Interface....................................................................................................... 10
3.2.1 Catalyst types.................................................................................................................................. 10
3.2.2 User Interface.................................................................................................................................. 10
3.2.3 View................................................................................................................................................ 11
3.2.4 Hotkeys........................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.5 Profiles............................................................................................................................................ 12
3.2.6 Preference....................................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.7 Help ................................................................................................................................................ 13
3.3 Information Center..................................................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Displays Manager...................................................................................................................................... 14
3.4.1 Setup Single Display....................................................................................................................... 15
3.4.2 Setup Dual-Display......................................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Display Options......................................................................................................................................... 17
3.6 Monitor Properties..................................................................................................................................... 17
3.7 3D.............................................................................................................................................................. 19
3.8 Color.......................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.9 Avivo Video ............................................................................................................................................... 21
3.10 ATI Overdrive.......................................................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 4 How to Build an HDMI Home Theater................................................................................................... 23
4.1 About the HDMI........................................................................................................................................ 23
4.2 About the DisplayPort................................................................................................................................ 23
4.3 How to Install HDMI................................................................................................................................. 25
FAQs........................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Technical Support.................................................................................................................................................... 29

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
1
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation
Before you begin…
Thanks for purchasing Colorful graphics card. Please check the packing contents first
before the installation. If there was any broken or parts missing, please contact your franchiser.
1.1 Packing Contents
z1* Colorful graphics card
z1* Windows 2000/XP/Vista driver CD
z1* User’s manual
zDVI to VGAadapter, HDMI to DVI adapter, DVI to HDMI adapter, Additional power cable,
S-VIDEO cable, TV-OUT cable, SPDIF connecting cable, HDMI cable
Note: All the cables or adapters are Optional, and it depends on the output ports of the graphics
card
1.2 How to install
Follow the steps below to install the graphics card.
1. Turn off the power and remove all the cables which is connecting to the computer case
2. Open the computer case
3. Locate the PCI Express slot or AGP slot on the motherboard
AGP slot PCI Express slot
Note: Insert the wrong slot may damage the graphics card
4. Full seated the graphic card, and secure the card with a bracket screw.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
2
5. Some high-end graphic cards need an additional power cable
Note: If the additional power cable is not connected, the computer will not boot, or the system will
warn.
6. Pay attention on other parts of the motherboard when installing the card.
7. Close the computer case, and re-connect all the cables that were removed before. Then connect
the monitor
Don’t open the plastic nips of
DIMM slots before installing the
graphics card
After the installation, please note
whether the nip of the PCIE slot is
well connected.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
3
8. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port.
The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a compact audio/video connector
interface for transmitting uncompressed digital streams. It represents a digital alternative to
consumer analog standards. HDMI connects digital audio/video sources such as set-top boxes,
Blu-ray Disc players, personal computers, video game consoles, and AV receivers to
compatible digital audio devices, video monitors, and digital televisions (DTV).
9. DisplayPort.
DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1
approved on April 2, 2007) put forth by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It
defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used
primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater
system. It supports a maximum of 10.8 Gbit/s data rate and WQXGA (2560×1600) resolution
over a 3 meter cable.
NOTE: All ATI HDMI/DisplayPort-supported graphics cards are integrated audio codec, you just
need to set in the Control Panel.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
4
10. VVC and UVC
VVC (VRAM Voltage-Control) and UVC (VPU Voltage-Control) switches are Colorful particular
high-light for enhancing overclocking capability; you can find them usually on the high-end
graphics card.
The VVC and UVC are used for adjusting the memory voltage and core voltage. When slide to the
right-side, the voltage will be added, and the overclocking ability will be improved.
11. Dual BIOS
The overcloking button is on the bracket of the graphics card. It is very convenient, users needn’t
use a lot of softwares to test or adjust the clock when they play a game that without good
performance, but just need press the button.
VRAM
Voltage-
Control
VPU
Voltage-
Control
Caution: The system might come to unstable when overclocking, so novice users please
keep the default clock and voltage.
Turbo- The VPU
and memory work
at high clock.
Normal- The VPU
and memory work
at low clock

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
5
Chapter 2 Driver Installation
2.1 Driver installation in Windows Vista
Step 1: Insert the Colorful Smart Install CD into the CD drive, and it has an auto-start feature.
Before installing the graphics card driver…….
Please Note:
1. Make sure you have installed the chipset driver of the motherboard
2. Make sure the DirectX(Direct9.0 or later) has been installed. Microsoft DirectX is a collection of
application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game
programming and video, on Microsoft platforms.
3. We suggest you downloading the latest DirectX on Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com
The program will detect the
graphics card model
automatically. Click “Setup
VGA” to install.
Select <Run
Autorun.exe>
to run the
auto-start
feature.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
6
Step 2:
Click “Next” to continue
Select “Install Additional
Languages” to install
mother tongue
Select “Install” to install
the driver.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
7
Step 3:
Click “Browse” if you want
to change the installation
location
Click “Express” for full
installation, we’re highly
recommended you select
express
Click “Accept” and click
“Next”

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
8
Step4:
Attention:
1. The driver is updated frequently in order to improve the graphics card compatibility, we try our
best to keep the latest drivers in the drivers CD, but if you want update the driver, please visit
COLORFUL website (http://www.colorful.cn/) or ATI website (http://ati.amd.com).
2. The driver CD content is limited, if it is not fit for your Operating System (such as Linux, Solaris,
FreeBSD etc.), please visitATI website (http://ati.amd.com) to download the correct driver.
Click “Finish” and restart
the computer.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
9
Chapter 3 ATI Catalyst Control Center in Vista
ATI Catalyst Control Center is designed for Microsoft® Windows XP and Windows Vista. You can
use ATI Catalyst Control Center to control your ATI hardware and access other ATI software
installed on your system. The operation in Windows XP and Windows Vista is almost the same; we
use Windows Vista for the reference.
3.1 ATI Catalyst Control Center Introduction
ATI Catalyst Control Center is a 3D acceleration control application that enables you to control the functionality
of your graphics card. It offers exceptional graphics performance and visual quality for the ultimate in
performance, stability, and innovation. Safe GPU overclocking, custom profiles, and assignable hotkeys are just a
few of the many features.
Use ATI Catalyst Control Center to fine-tune your graphic and display device settings for optimal performance
and quality. Many features present you with a preview of your changes before they are applied.
3.1.1 How to open the ATI Catalyst Control Center
You get three different ways to open the ATI Catalyst Control Center
The first way:
After the driver installation, right click the desktop, select the “Catalyst(TM) Control Center”
from the context menu.
The second way:
Right Click the in the taskbar , and select the “Catalyst Control
Center”.
The third way:
Left click the Start Menu, you can find the “Catalyst Control Center” in the programs.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
10
3.2 ATI Catalyst Control Center Interface
3.2.1 Catalyst types
There are two types of View Mode of Catalyst Control Center when you start the program for the
first time, Basic View and Advanced View.
We recommend that novice users choose the Basic View to setup the monitor, 3D quality and display;
experienced users choose the Advanced View to setup the details of the graphics card.
Note: We use the Advanced View settings in this manual.
3.2.2 User Interface
The ATI Catalyst Control Center provides an easy-to-use interface for managing your system, and it
consists of these main areas.
The Basic View is for
easy setup wizards and
quick settings.
The Advanced View
allows you to configure
all the many available
settings of the graphics
card.
Control Panel
Main Task Area
Menu Bar
Select a Task Pane
Tabs Button

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
11
3.2.3 View
ATI Catalyst Control Center contains three views that are suited to varying levels of familiarity with the
application.
3.2.4 Hotkeys
Note: Some applications disable hotkeys as a normal part of their functionality.
Basic View
Basic View is the default view when ATI Catalyst
Control Center is started for the very first time. It
includes a wizard that guides you through the
process of configuring your display devices.
Advanced View
Advanced View provides access to all the features
offered by the ATI Catalyst Control Center.
Custom View
Custom View allows you to choose the features that
appear in the left navigation pane. Custom View is
recommended for experienced users who want to
access only the features they adjust most often or
that their 3D applications support.
Hotkeys Manager
Use the Hotkeys Manager to create
shortcut key combinations to quickly
perform tasks such as changing a
graphics setting or opening an
application. Ahot key is a combination
of one or more modifier keys, such as
Ctrl, Alt, or Shift, and any letter from
the alphabet.
Hotkeys Manager is only available in
Advanced View.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
12
3.2.5 Profiles
Profiles Manager is a management tool for creating customized environments for your desktop, video, and 3D
applications.
Use Profiles Manager to define and save video settings into a profile so they can be restored at a later date using
hot keys or file associations.
Note: Profiles are created on a per-graphics card basis. If there is more than one card installed in
your computer, you need to select the appropriate card before creating, loading, or activating a
profile.
3.2.6 Preference
Use the Preferences menu in the Dashboard to
customize the overall look and behavior for ATI
Catalyst Control Center. You can:
Keeping ATI Catalyst Control Center Always on
Top of All Open Applications on the Desktop;
Showing or Hiding Tooltips;
Showing or Hiding Text that Appears on the
Toolbar Buttons;
Hiding the Splash Screen;
Showing or Hiding the ATI Catalyst Control
Center Icon in the Windows System Tray;
Changing the Language;
Changing the Appearance of the ATI Catalyst
Control Center using Skins;
Restoring All Factory Default Settings for ATI
Catalyst Control Center.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
13
3.2.7 Help
The ATI Catalyst Control Center Help
provides conceptual information on the
graphics technologies for the graphics card
and detailed instructions for optimizing
your graphics environment.
You can also use the Help to access usage
information, generate a problem report,
and get view current software version
information

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
14
3.3 Information Center
Graphics Software includes information such as installed 2D and 3D driver versions, OpenGL version, and ATI
Catalyst Control Center version.
Graphics Hardware includes information about each installed graphics card, such as the installed graphics
chipset, device ID, graphics bus capability, maximum bus setting, BIOS version, memory size, and total memory
bandwidth.
Note: Clicking System Information opens the Windows System Information dialog.
3.4 Displays Manager
Information Center
The Information Center aspect provides
detailed information about all installed
graphics hardware and associated
software.
The Displays Manager aspect is the
central location for configuring your
display devices and arranging your
desktop. Use Displays Manager to
change your display setup, arrange
your desktop in a multi-monitor
environment, and enable TV Out.
Displays Manager is available only in
Advanced View and Custom View.
Note: The stretch vertically and
horizontally options are not supported on
systems running Windows Vista.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
15
3.4.1 Setup Single Display
Right click on the desktop
Select the
Personalize
to open the
profiles
Use the slide bar to change the
resolution of the monitor
Click the “Advanced Settings”
This setting determines how many
times the monitor displays an entire
screen in one second. Higher refresh
rates may be more pleasing to the eye,
but cause the video hardware to work
harder and use more resources. Select
a lower rate that is compatible with the
adapter. If you can detect minute
flickering or the change bothers your
eyes, try adjusting the rate to the next
available higher rate. Never exceed the
rate available to the monitor.
CAUTION: Do not remove the selection next to Hide modes that this monitor cannot display. Changing
the refresh rate to a rate that the monitor cannot accept may permanently damage some monitors.

Colorful Graphics Card User’s Manual
16
3.4.2 Setup Dual-Display
From the Graphics Settings tree, click Displays Manager > Displays Properties.
Extend Mode
Clone Mode
Right Click the Display Icon on the left-hand, and select the Clone Desktop1 with digital panel in the
pop-up menu.
Click the Detect Display first,
and Right Click the Display
Icon, you can set the primary
display
Right Click the Display
Icon on the left-hand, and
select the Extend Main
onto digital panel in the
pop-up menu