Gigabyte Gv-n480so-15i User manual

GV-N480SO-15I

NVIDIA®GeForceTM GTX 480 GraphicsAccelerator

User's Manual

Rev. 101

12MM-N480SO-101R

CopyrightbyGIGA-BYTETECHNOLOGYCO.,LTD.("GBT").Nopartofthismanualmaybereproducedortransmitted

in anyform withoutthe expressed,written permissionof GBT.

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Pleasedo notremove any labels on thisgraphics card.Doing somay voidthe warrantyof thiscard.

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VGA Card

GV-N480SO-15I

Oct. 20, 2010

VGA Card

GV-N480SO-15I

Oct. 20, 2010

- 3 -

Table of Contents

1.Introduction ................................................................................................................ 4

1.1.Features ......................................................................................................................... 4

1.2.MinimumSystemRequirements .................................................................................... 4

2.HardwareInstallation.................................................................................................. 5

2.1.BoardLayout ................................................................................................................. 5

2.2.HardwareInstallation......................................................................................................7

3.SoftwareInstallation.................................................................................................... 9

3.1.DriverandUtilityInstallation........................................................................................... 9

3.1.1. Driver Installation ........................................................................................................... 9

3.1.2. GIGABYTE Extreme Dual BIOS technology..................................................15

3.2. DisplayPropertiesPages ........................................................................................ 16

3.3. Accessing NVIDIA Control Panel............................................................................ 17

4.TroubleshootingTips................................................................................................ 25

5.Appendix ................................................................................................................. 26

5.1. How to Reflash the BIOS in MS-DOS Mode.............................................................. 26

5.2.ResolutionsandColorDepthTable(InWindowsXP)................................................... 27

5.3.RegulatoryStatements ................................................................................................. 29

- 4 -GV-N400 Series Graphics Accelerator

1. Introduction

1.1. Features

• Powered by NVIDIA®GeForceTM GTX 480 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

• Supports PCI Express 2.0

• Integratedwith1536MB GDDR5memory

• SupportsDirectX®11

• SupportsNVIDIA®SLITM (ScalableLink Interface)technology(Note1)

• Supports2Dual-LinkDVI-Iconnectors

• Supports1mini HDMIconnector

• SupportsHDCP(High-BandwidthDigitalContentProtection)technology

1.2. Minimum System Requirements

•Hardware

- 600-wattsystempowersupplyspecificationoraboveisrecommended

- Intel®Pentium®4 orAMDAthlonTM XP class

- 2GBsystem memory(4GB recommended)

- Opticaldrive forsoftware installation(CD-ROMor DVD-ROMdrive)

•OperatingSystem

- Windows®7

- Windows®Vista

- Windows®XP

•SLITM Configuration

If you are planning on using this graphics card as part of an SLI system, the following

arerequired:

- AnSLIcertifiedmotherboardwithtwo/three PCIex16slotsand correctchipsetdriver

- TwoGV-N480SO-15I forSLIconfiguration;

ThreeGV-N480SO-15Ifor3-waySLIconfiguration

- Apowersupplywith 900-wattor aboveis recommended

- AnSLIbridgeconnector or3-way SLIbridge connector

(Note 1) SLI technology requires a PCI Express motherboard with two/three x16 physical connectors.

Graphics cards working in an SLI configuration must be with the same model name

(e.g. GV-N480SO-15I) and from the same vendor (e.g. GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY).

- 5 - Hardware Installation

2. Hardware Installation

2.1. Board Layout

Mini HDMI

Connector

DVI-I

Connector 1

DVI-I

Connector 2

Digital LCD Monitor

DVI Output

HDMI TV

Digital LCD Monitor

DVI Output

Mini HDMI to HDMI cable(optional)

SLI Connector

Mini HDMI Connector

DVI-I Connector 1

DVI-I Connector 2

Power Connectors

- 6 -GV-N400 Series Graphics Accelerator

Expansion cards contain very delicate Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To

protectthemagainstdamagefromstaticelectricity,youshouldfollowsome

precautions whenever you work on your computer.

1. Turnoffyour computer and unplug powersupply.

2. Useagroundedwriststrapbeforehandlingcomputercomponents.Ifyoudonot

haveone,touchbothofyourhandstoasafelygroundedobjectortoametalobject,

suchasthepowersupplycase.

3. Placecomponentsonagroundedantistaticpadoronthebagthatcamewiththe

componentswheneverthecomponentsareseparatedfromthesystem.

Thecardcontainssensitiveelectriccomponents,whichcanbeeasilydamagedbystatic

electricity,sothecardshouldbeleftinitsoriginalpackinguntilitisinstalled.

Unpackingandinstallationshouldbedoneonagroundedanti-staticmat.Theoperator

shouldbewearingananti-staticwristband,groundedatthesamepointastheanti-static

mat.

Inspectthecardcartonforobviousdamage.Shippingandhandlingmaycausedamage

toyour card. Be suretherearenoshipping and handling damagesonthecardbefore

proceeding.

DO NOTAPPLY POWER TOYOUR SYSTEM IF THE GRAPHICS CARD IS

DAMAGED.

In order to ensure that your graphics card can work correctly, please use

official GIGABYTE BIOS only. Using non-official GIGABYTE BIOS might

cause problem(s) on the graphics card.

- 7 - Hardware Installation

2.2. Hardware Installation

Now that you have prepared your computer, you are ready to install your graphics card.

Step 1.

Locate the PCI Express x16 slot. If necessary, remove the

metal cover from this slot; then align your graphics card with

the PCI Express x16 slot, and press it in firmly until the card is

fully seated.

Makesurethatthegoldedgeconnectorofthegraphicscardissecurely

inserted.

Step 2.

Replace the screw to fasten the card in place, and replace the

computer cover.

Step 3.

This graphics card provides two DVI-I digital connectors and

one mini HDMI connector. You can connect a monitor that sup-

ports DVI-I function. To connect a HDMI monitor,you need a

cable or adapter to connect from the mini-HDMI connector to a

HDMI monitor.

To Flat Panel Display

Connectaflatpanel

ConnectaHDMImonitor

ToHDMIMonitor

- 8 -GV-N400 Series Graphics Accelerator

How NVIDIA®SLITM (Scalable Link Interface) technology works:

In an SLI configuration, two/three SLI-ready graphics cards of the same model and the same manufac-

turers are connected together via SLI bridge connector in a system that provides two/three x16 PCI

Express slots to scale graphics performance. The picture below shows that two and three 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-N28-1GH-B)

3-Way SLI bridge connector

(provided by motherboard manufacturer)

Three SLI-ready graphics

cards of the same type.

(Example:

GV-N28-1GH-B)

SLI Configuration:

3-Way SLI Configuration:

- 9 - Software Installation

3. Software Installation

Notice the following guidelines before installing the drivers:

1. First make sure your system has installed DirectX 9 or later version.

2. Make sure your system has installed the appropriate motherboard drivers (for the motherboard

drivers, please contact the motherboard manufacturer.)

3.1. Driver and Utility Installation

3.1.1. Driver Installation

After installing the operating system, insert the driver disk into your optical drive. The driver Autorun

screen is automatically displayed which looks like that shown in the screen shot below. (If the driver

Autorun screen does not appear automatically, go to My Computer, double-click the optical drive and

execute the setup.exe program.)

For software MPEG support in 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:

Click the Install Display Driver item.

Step 2:

Click the Next button.

- 10 -GV-N400 Series Graphics Accelerator

The system is installing the components.

Step 4:

Click the Finish button to restart the computer.

Then the driver installation is completed.

Step 3:

Click the Yes button.

Table of contents

Gigabyte GV-N480SO-15I User manual

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