Gigabyte GV-3D1-7950-RH User manual

GV-3D1-7950-RH
GeForce™7950 GX2 Graphics Accelerator
User's Manual
Rev. 102
12MD-3D17950R-102R
* The WEEE marking on the product indicates this product must not be disposed of with user's other household waste
and must be handed over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment!!
* The WEEE marking applies only in European Union's member states.
Copyright
© 2006 GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGYCO., LTD
Copyright by GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. ("GBT"). No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
without the expressed, written permission of GBT.
Trademarks
Third-party brands and names are the property of their respective owners.
Notice
Please do not remove any labels on VGA card, this may void the warranty of this VGA card
Due to rapid change in technology, some of the specifications might be out of date before publication of this booklet.
The author assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions that may appear in this document nor does the author make a
commitment to update the information contained herein.
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This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights.
Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision, and is intended for home and other limited viewing
uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 3
1.1. Features ..................................................................................................... 3
1.2. Minimum system requirements ..................................................................... 3
2. Hardware Installation ........................................................................... 4
2.1. Board layout ............................................................................................... 4
2.2. Hardware installation ................................................................................... 6
3. Software Installation .......................................................................... 10
3.1. Win®XP driver and utilities installation ........................................................ 10
3.1.1. Operating system requirement ................................................................................... 10
3.1.2. DirectX installation ........................................................................................................ 10
3.1.3. Driver installation .......................................................................................................... 12
3.1.4. Display properties pages............................................................................................. 15
3.1.5. nView properties pages ............................................................................................... 20
3.2. Win®2000 driver installation ...................................................................... 25
4. Troubleshooting Tips ........................................................................ 26
5. Appendix .......................................................................................... 27
5.1. How to Reflash the BIOS ........................................................................... 27
5.2. Resolutions and color depth table (In Windows®XP) .................................. 28
5.3. NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GX2 - Motherboard Compatibility List ..................... 30

Introduction- 3 -
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1. Introduction
1.1. Features
•Powered by NVIDIA®GeForce™7950 GX2 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
•Supports the newest PCI Express x 16
•Integrated with 1GB DDRIII memory
•Supports DirectX 9.0c
•Supports NVIDIA® SLITM (Scalable Link Interface) technology (Note)
•Supports AV / S-Video and HDTV output
•Supports D-sub connector (by adapter)
•Supports 2 DVI-I connectors
1.2. Minimum system requirements
•IBM®or 100% PC compatible with Pentium®III 650MHz or AMD Athlon 650MHz
class processor or higher
•One PCI Express x 16 slot
•Operating Systems Win®2000 / Win®XP
•64MB system memory
•50MB of available disk space for full installation
•CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
•Minimum power supply 350W
(A power supply of 550 watt or above is recommended for an SLI system with the
graphics cards.)
(Note): SLI technology requires a PCI Express motherboard with two x16 physical
connectors. Graphics cards working in an SLI configuration must be with the same model
name (i.e. GV-3D1-7950-RH) and from the same vendor (i.e. GIGABYTE
TECHNOLOGY).

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2. Hardware Installation
2.1. Board Layout
DVI-I
Connector
DVI-I
Connector
Analog LCD Monitor
Digital LCD Monitor
DVI Output
DVI-I to D-Sub
Adapter
DVI-I to D-Sub
Adapter
VGA Output
TV-Out
NTSC / PAL TV
HDTV
S-Video Output
Pb Output
Pr
Y
AV Output
TV-out
DVI-I Connector
DVI-I Connector
SLI connector

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Expansion cards contain very delicate Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To
protect them against damage from static electricity, you should follow some
precautions whenever you work on your computer.
1. Turn off your computer and unplug power supply.
2. Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer components. If you do not have
one, touch both of your hands to a safely grounded object or to a metal object, such as
the power supply case.
3. Place components on a grounded antistatic pad or on the bag that came with the
components whenever the components are separated from the system.
The card contains sensitive electric components, which can be easily damaged by static
electricity, so the card should be left in its original packing until it is installed.
Unpacking and installation should be done on a grounded anti-static mat. The operator
should be wearing an anti-static wristband, grounded at the same point as the anti-static
mat.
Inspect the card carton for obvious damage. Shipping and handling may cause damage
to your card. Be sure there are no shipping and handling damages on the card before
proceeding.
DO NOT APPLY POWER TO YOUR SYSTEM IF IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED ON
THE CARD.
In order to ensure your graphics card working correctly, please use official
Gigabyte BIOS only. Use none official Gigabyte BIOS might cause problem
on the graphics card.

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2.2. Hardware installation
Installing Your graphics card.
Now that you have prepared your computer, you are ready to install your graphics accelerator
card.
To remove the existing graphics card:
1. Power off the computer and monitor, then
disconnect the display cable from the back
of your computer.
2. Remove the computer cover. If necessary,
consult your computer's manual for help in
removing the cover.
3. Remove any existing graphics card from
your computer.
Or, if your computer has any on-board
graphics capability, you may need to disable
it on the motherboard. For more information,
please see your computer documentation.
To install your new graphics card:
1. Locate two PCI Express x 16 slots. If
necessary, remove the metal covers from
the slots; then align your graphics card with
the PCI Express x 16 slots, and press it in
firmly until the card is fully seated.
* Please make sure that the gold edge connectors of the graphics card is securely inserted.

Hardware Installation- 7 -
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2. Replace the screw to fasten the card in place,
and replace the computer cover.
You are now ready to proceed with the installation of the graphics card driver. Please refer
to next chapter for detailed instructions.
After installing the GV-3D1-7950-RH to your computer, please
remember to connect at lease one power cable on the graphics card
to the power supply connector.
We suggest you to connect both of the two power cables on the
graphics card to the power supply to achieve optimal graphics
performance.
3. Plug the display cable into your graphics
card; then turn on the computer and monitor.
To connect a flat panel directly to your
graphics card, use the DVI-I connector. To
connect a VGA monitor to the DVI-I
connector, plug the DVI-I to D-sub adapter
intotheDVI-Iconnector,thenplugthemonitor
cable into the adapter. Connect a flat panel
Connect a VGA monitor via DVI-I to D-sub adapter
To TV / VCR
To Flat Panel Display

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GIGABYTE Component Video Adapter for Nvidia Graphics Cards (HDTV Cable)
(1) Connecting HDTV
Connect your HDTV cables to the component video
adapter according to the corresponding color. (Y= Green,
Pr= Red, Pb= Blue)
(2) Connecting S-Video
If your TV has a S-Video connection, connect the S-
Video cable from your TV to the S-Video Out port on the
adapter.
(3) Connecting AV Output
If your TV has a Composite video connection, you can
connect the RCA cable from your TV to the AV Out port
on the adapter.
Connect to the TV-Out
port on the graphics card.
S-Video Out HDTV Component
(Y+Pr+Pb)
AV Out

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How NVIDIA® SLITM (Scalable Link Interface) technology works:
In an SLI configuration, two SLI-ready graphics cards of the same model and the same
manufacturers are connected together via SLI bridge connector in a system that provides
two x 16 PCI Express slots to scale graphics performance. The picture below shows that two
graphics cards are linked in parallel in an SLI configuration.
SLI bridge connector
(provided by motherboard
manufacturer)
Two SLI-ready graphics
cards of the same type.
(Example: GV-NX66T256DP-RH)

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3.1.2. DirectX installation
Install Microsoft DirectX to enable 3D hardware acceleration support for Windows®2000 or
Windows®XP to achieve better 3D performance.
0Note: For software MPEG support in Windows®2000 or Windows®XP, you must install
DirectX first. Users who run Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or above do not need to
install DirectX separately.
Step 1. When autorun window show up, click
the Install DirectX 9 item.
3. Software Installation
In this manual, we assume that your CD-ROM Drive letter to be Drive D:
The installation of Windows®2000 / Windows®XP drivers is very simple. When you insert the
driver CD into your CD-ROM drive, you can see the AUTORUN window (if it does not show
up, run "D:\setup.exe"). Then you can follow the guides to setup your graphics card driver.
(Please follow the subsection 3.1.3 "Driver installation" to install the driver for your graphics
accelerator.)
3.1. Windows®XP driver and utilities installation
3.1.1. Operating system requirement
•When loading the graphics card drivers for the system, please make sure your system
has installed DirectX 9.0C or later version.
•If you install the graphics card drivers for the motherboard, which consist of SIS or VIA
chipsets, please install the appropriate driver program for that motherboard. Or please
contact your motherboard nearest dealer for motherboard driver.

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Step 4. Click "Finish" to restart computer.
Then the DirectX 9 installation is completed.
Installing the components.
Step 2. Choose I accept the agreement and click
the "Next" button.
Step 3. Click the "Next" button.

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3.1.3. Driver installation
A. New hardware found
After the graphics card is inserted into your computer at the first time, the windows will
automatically detect a new hardware in the system and pop out a "New Hardware Found"
message. The following is the step-by-step installation guide.
Step 1: Found new hardware wizard: Video controller (VGA Compatible)
Click the "Next" button to install the driver. (There
is a driver CD disk that came with your graphics
accelerator, please insert it now.)
Or click the "Cancel" button to install the driver
from AUTORUN window.
Step 2: Found new hardware wizard: Searching and installing
The wizard will search for the driver and install it automatically.
Step 3: Found new hardware wizard: Finish
Click the "Finish" button to finish the installation.

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B. Driver installation (Autorun Window)
Insert the driver CD disk into your CD-ROM, and then you can see the AUTORUN window.
If it does not show up, please run "D:\setup.exe".
Step 1. When autorun window show up,
click Display Driver item.
Step 2. When autorun window show up,
click Install Display Driver item.
Step 3. Click "Next" button.
Step 4. Click "Finish" button to restart
computer. Then the driver installation is
completed.
Windows installings the components.

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After installation of the display drivers, you will find a NVIDIA icon on the taskbar's status
area. Click this icon to open the control panel.
You can adjust the properties of
the graphics accelerator from
here.
Right click the icon.

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3.1.4. Display properties pages
To access Display Properties pages, right-click the GIGABYTE icon on the taskbar and
select Display Properties or right-click on Desktop and then select Properties. The Display
Properties dialog box shows the information of display adapter, color, the range of display
area, and the refresh rate.
Settings (Resolutions and Color depth for Windows)
You may adjust the screen resolution and color quality settings in this dialog box.
GeForce 7950 GX2 properties
To access more advanced options, click the
"Advanced" button.
You can select other properties from the pop-out menu.
After pressing the "Advanced" button in Settings, you'll see the Plug and Play Monitor and
NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GX2 Properties dialog box. Click the GeForce 7950 GX2 tab. (You can also
click the Nvidia icon on the taskbar and select Nvidia Display to access the GeForce 7950 GX2
properties page.)
This page shows the Adapter, System and
Driver version information.
You can move the slider to change
the resolution.
Click the "Advanced" button for adapter and setting.
You can click the item to change the color depth.
Display Model GV-3D1-7950-RH
Matrix CRT+TV Yes
CRT+DVI Yes
DVI+TV Yes
DVI+DVI Yes

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Screen Adjustment Settings properties
Click the arrow icons on the desktop image to adjust the screen
to the desired position.
Display Mode Timing Settings properties
Click to select your display’s timing mode:
Auto-Detect is the "default" setting; it allows Windows to receive
the proper timing information directly from the display itself.
Note: Some older monitors may not support this feature.
• General Timing Formula (GTF) is a standard used by
most new displays.
• Discrete Monitor Timing (DMT) is an older standard still
in use on some displays. Enable this option if your display
requires DMT.
• Coordinated Video Timing Standard (CVT) became the
VESA standard on March 2003. CVT supports higher
resolutions better than other timing standards.
• Fixed aspect ratio timing forces the displayed image to
retain the aspect ratio of the mode rather than aspect ratio
of the display.
Note: The driver may place black borders around the displayed
image, as needed.

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Performance and Quality Settings properties
The sliders lets to decide whether your application should use
quality or high performance texture.
• Application profiles: Select the application profile from the list
of profiles.
• Global driver settings: Select the Settings item and move
the slider below to set the degree of antialiasing to used in
Direct3D and OpenGL applications.
• Antialiasing settings value: allows to set the degree of the
Global Driver Settings.
SLI multi-GPU
To enable SLI mode, select the Enable SLI multi-GPU
check box and click Apply after installation of two
GV-3D1-7950-RH graphics cards on an SLI-capable
motherboard. Then restart your system when prompted.
Only Windows XP operating system supports the SLI mode.
Please do not enable SLI multi-GPU in Windows 2000.
Color Correction properties
The Color Correction Properties is used to compensate for
variations in luminance between a source image and its output
on a display device. Adjust the color correction settings to
provide more accurate color reproduction of images (such as
photographs) on your display device. Also, many 3D-
accelerated games may appear too dark to play. Increasing
the brightness and/or the gamma value equally across all
channels makes these games appear brighter and more
playable.

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Video Overlay Settings properties
The Video Overlay Settings Properties can adjust Overlay
zoom controls and Overlay color controls. There is only one
video overlay, which is only available on the Primary display.
The video overlay controls are automatically activated during
playback of any video file type that supports overlay
adjustments. The "Adjust Colors" button will access "Color
Correction" properties page.
Tools properties
The NVIDIA settings taskbar utility lets you conveniently access
various features and presets you've configured in the Display
Properties directly from the Windows taskbar.
• Shortcut tools
The Desktop Manager provides enhanced nView multi-
display functionality and helps you organize your applications
for use with multiple displays and desktops.
• Display optimization
Run the Display Optimization Wizard to adjust your
display(s) for optimal viewing and representation of colors.
• Troubleshooting
This option can be used to force detection of an attached TV
set which does not report its presence to the graphics card.
NV Rotate properties
The NV Rotate Propertiesis used to rotate the screen. If your
monitor is capable of operating in either Landscape or Portrait
mode, you can adjust the screen by this properties.
• Landscape (0 degree rotation)
• Portrait (90 degree rotation)
• Inverted landscape (180 degree rotation)
• Inverted portrait (270 degree rotation)

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Screen Resolutions & Refresh Rates properties
TheScreen Resolutions & Refresh Rates Properties allows
you to adjust the screen resolution, color quality and monitor
settings(screenrefresh rates). Oryou can customizeresolutions
and refresh rates.
Menu Editing properties
The Menu Editing Properties can remove infrequently used
screens by dragging them from the screen menu to the list
below. Restore screens to the menu by dragging them
individually, or click Restore Defaults.
To begin, select the Enable menu editing check box. To
return to normal navigation mode, do not select the check box.
Control Panel User Interface properties
Select the user interface you wish to use:
• Classic NVIDIA Control Panel
• New NVIDIA Control Panel

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3.1.5. nView properties pages
nView is a set of desktop tools designed to help you be more productive when using your
graphics card. With nView you can set up multiple desktops to work with your applications.
Multiple desktops give you extra desktop areas on which to run your applications so you
won't have to crowd several open application windows on one desktop.
Click the "Enable" button to turn on all the nView Desktop
Manager features.
Access nView properties page:
Enable the nView Desktop Manager features:
Right-click on desktop and choose Properties>Settings>Advanced>GeForce 7950 GX2>
Desktop Management
To access the nView properties page, you can click the NVIDIA icon on the taskbar and
select nView Properties under nView Destop Manager (Method A). Or right-click on
Desktop, select Properties>Settings>Advanced>GeForce 7950 GX2. Double-click Desktop
Management item on the pop-up menu (Method B).
Method A: Method B:
Click the item to start nView Properties. Double-click Desktop Management to see
more nView properties.