Gigabyte GV-NX68G256D-B User manual

Dec. 1, 2005
VGA Card
GV-NX68G256D-B

VGA Card
Dec. 1, 2005
GV-NX68G256D-B

Copyright
© 2005 GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., 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Due to rapid change in technology, some of the specifications might be out of date before publication of this booklet.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.
GV-NX68G256D-B
User's Manual
GeForce™6800 GS Graphics Accelerator
Rev. 101
12MD-NX68G2B-101R
* 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.

GV-NX68G256D-B Graphics Accelerator - 2 -
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 3
1.1. Features ..................................................................................................... 3
1.2. Minimum system requirement ....................................................................... 3
2. Hardware Installation ........................................................................... 4
2.1. Board Layout .............................................................................................. 4
2.2. Hardware Installation ................................................................................... 6
3. Software Installation ............................................................................ 9
3.1. Windows®XP Driver and Utilities Installation ................................................. 9
3.1.1. Operating System Requirement ................................................................................... 9
3.1.2. DirectX installation ........................................................................................................ 10
3.1.3. Driver installation .......................................................................................................... 12
3.1.4. Utilities on driver CD .................................................................................................... 14
3.1.5. Taskbar icon ................................................................................................................. 16
3.1.6. Display Properties pages ............................................................................................ 19
3.1.7. nView Properties pages .............................................................................................. 23
3.2. Windows®2000 Driver Installation ............................................................. 28
4. Troubleshooting Tips ........................................................................ 29
5. Appendix .......................................................................................... 30
5.1. How to Reflash the BIOS ........................................................................... 30
5.1.1. Reflash BIOS in MS-DOS mode ................................................................................. 30
5.1.2. Reflash BIOS in Windows mode ................................................................................ 30
5.2. Resolutions and Color Depth Table (In Windows®XP) ............................... 31

Introduction- 3 -
English
1. Introduction
1.1. Features
•Powered by NVIDIA®GeForce™6800 GS Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
•Supports the newest PCI Express x 16
•Integrated with 256MB GDDR3 memory
•Supports DirectX 9.0c
•Supports NVIDIA® SLITM (Scalable Link Interface) technology (note)
•Supports AV / S-Video and HDTV output
•Supports DVI-I / D-Sub connector
1.2. Minimum system requirement
•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 Windows®2000 / Windows®XP
•64MB system memory
•50MB of available disk space for full installation
•CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
•Minimum power supply 350W
(Note) SLI technology requires a PCI Express motherboard with two x16 physical connectors.
Graphics cards working in an SLI configuration must be of the same model and from the same
vendor. To support SLI technology via the PCI Express bus, the GV-NX68G256D-B requires
driver version 81.85 or later.

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2.1. Board Layout
2. Hardware Installation
Analog LCD Monitor
Analog LCD Monitor
OR
Digital LCD Monitor
TV-out
VGA Monitor
Connector
(15-pin)
DVI-I Connector
Analog Monitor
VGA Output
DVI Output
TV-out
VGA Monitor Connector
(15-pin)
DVI-I Connector
NTSC / PAL TV
Projector
S-Video Output
YHDTV
Pr
Pb/AV Output
DVI-I to D-Sub
Adapter
VGA Output

Hardware Installation- 5 -
English
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
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,
see your computer documentation.

Hardware Installation- 7 -
English
3. Plug the display cable into your card; then
turn on the computer and monitor. If your
graphics card came with a DVI-I connector,
you can connect a flat panel display to the
appropriate connector, as shown below...
You are now ready to proceed with the installation of the graphics card driver. Please refer
to next chapter for detailed instructions.
To TV or VCR To VGA Monitor To Flat Panel Display
2. Replace the screw to fasten the card in place,
and replace the computer cover.
To install your new graphics card:
1. Locate the PCI Express x 16 slot. If
necessary, remove the metal cover from this
slot; then align your graphics card with the
PCI Express x 16 slot, and press it in firmly
until the card is fully seated.
After installation, please connect the power cable to
your graphics card, or the system will not boot.

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How to enable NVIDIA® SLITM (Scalable Link Interface) technology:
(Note) Only Windows XP operating system supports SLI mode. Please do not enable SLI multi-
GPU in Windows 2000.
Figure 3
Step 1: After installing the graphics card driver, right-
click on Desktop and select Properties. When
Display Properties dialog box appears, select the
Settings tab. In Settings, click the Advanced button.
Step 2: Click the GeForce 6800 GS tab when
advanced properties dialog box appears. Select SLI
multi-GPU from the side menu and select the Enable
SLI multi-GPU check box (Figure 3) and click Apply.
SLI bridge connector
(provided by motherboard
manufacturer)
Two SLI-ready graphics cards
of the same type.
(example: GV-NX66T128D)
You can choose one of the methods below to enable SLI technology (Note):
Method 1: Use SLI bridge connector --
Install two SLI-ready graphics cards of the same model
and from the same manufacturers on an SLI
motherboard. Connect the two graphics cards via the
SLI bridge connector. (as Figure 1)
Step 3: Restart your system when prompted.
For more information about the hardware configuration of an SLI system, refer to motherboard user's
manual.
Two SLI-ready graphics cards
of the same type.
(example: GV-NX66256DP2) Method 2: Enable SLI mode through the graphics card
driver --
Install two SLI-ready graphics cards of the same model
and from the same manufacturers on an SLI
motherboard. After installing the graphics card driver
(For the GV-NX68G256D-B, driver version must be
at least 81.85), you can follow the steps below to
enable SLI mode. (as Figure 2)
Figure 1
Figure 2

Software Installation- 9 -
English
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.

GV-NX68G256D-B Graphics Accelerator - 10 -
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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.
Step 2. Choose I accept the agreement
and click the Next button.
Step 3. Click the Next button.
Step 4. Click Finish to restart computer.
Then the DirectX 9 installation is completed.
Installing the components.

Software Installation- 11 -
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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)
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.
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.

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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 2. Click the Next button.
Step 3. Click the Finish button to restart computer.
Then the driver installation is completed.
Windows installings the components.
Step 1. When autorun window show up,
click the Install Display Driver item.

Software Installation- 13 -
English
3.1.4. Taskbar icon
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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This page shows the Adapter, System and
Driver versions information.
3.1.5. 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 6800 GS properties
To access more advanced options, click the Advanced button.
After pressing the Advanced button in Settings, you'll see Plug and Play Monitor and NVIDIA
GeForce 6800 GS Properties dialog box. Click the GeForce 6800 GS tab. (You can also click the
Nvidia icon on the taskbar and select Nvidia Display to access the GeForce 6800 GS properties
page.)
You can select other properties from the pop-out menu.
You can click the item to change the color quality.
You can move the slider to change the resolution.
Click the Advanced button for adapter and setting.

Software Installation- 15 -
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nView allows you to connect separate displays to single
graphics card.
• nView Display mode: select your preferred nView display
modes here. Options: Single display/ Clone/ Horizontal
span/ Vertical span/ Dualview
• Primary/Secondary display: select a single display or
display pair. The selected display combination will appear
in the graphical representation below.
• Make this the primary display: Specifies that the display
corresponding to the icon you selected above is the
primary display.
• Click Apply to apply settings or click OK to save settings.
If TV is chosen as the display, you will need to select the
proper TV format. To do this, click "Device Settings" followed
by "Select TV format". Select the format for your television
and then click "Apply" followed by "OK".
nView Display properties
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: allows to set the degree of the Global
Driver Settings.
SLI multi-GPU properties
Your graphics card features NVIDIA Scalable Link Interface
(SLI) technology.
Add a second graphics card with SLI technology for significant
improvements in rendering performance.
Note: Only Windows XP operating system supports the dual
GPUs mode. Please do not enable SLI multi-GPU in
Windows 2000.
Display
Matrix
Model GV-NX68G256D-B
CRT+TV Yes
CRT+DVI Yes
DVI+TV Yes

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Video Overlay Settings properties
The Overlay Controls 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.
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.
Full Screen Video properties
The Full Screen Video Properties can adjust the display to
full screen mode when video is being played.

Software Installation- 17 -
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Temperature Settings properties
The Temperature Properties can auto detected the GPU
Core temperature andAmbient temperature.You can select the
Notify when GPU core temperature exceeds threshold
check box.
NV Rotate properties
The NV Rotate Properties is 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)
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:
Enabling these options will give you quick access to NVIDIA
features.
• Display Optimization:
Run the Display Optimization Wizard to adjust your
display(s) for optimal viewing and representation of colors .
• Troubleshooting:
If you have a TV connected and it is not being detected,
select the check box below.

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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, check the Enable screen menu editing check box.
To return to normal navigation mode, uncheck the check box.
Screen Resolutions & Refresh Rates properties
The Screen Resolutions & Refresh Rates properties allows
you to adjust the screen resolution, color quality and monitor
settings(screenrefreshrates).Oryoucancustomizeresolutions
and refresh rates.