Gigabyte GV-NX79G256DP-RH User manual

Sept. 11, 2006
VGA Card
GV-NX79G256DP-RH

VGACard
Sept. 11, 2006
GV-NX79G256DP-RH

* 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-NX79G256DP-RH
GeForce™7900 GS Graphics Accelerator
User's Manual
Rev. 101
12MD-NX79G2PR-101R
Copyright
© 2006 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Due to rapid change in technology, some of the specifications might be out of date before publication of this booklet.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.
Macrovision corporation product notice:
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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English
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. Windows®XP Driver and Utilities Installation ............................................... 10
3.1.1. Operating System Requirement ................................................................................. 10
3.1.2. DirectX Installation ......................................................................................................... 11
3.1.3. Driver Installation .......................................................................................................... 12
3.1.4. Taskbar Icon ................................................................................................................. 14
3.1.5. Display Properties pages ............................................................................................ 15
3.1.6. nView Properties pages .............................................................................................. 22
3.2. Windows®2000 driver installation .............................................................. 27
4. Troubleshooting Tips ........................................................................ 28
5. Appendix .......................................................................................... 29
5.1. Reflash BIOS in MS-DOS Mode ................................................................ 29
5.2. Connecting to a HDTV .............................................................................. 30
5.3. Resolutions and Color Depth Table (In Windows®XP) ............................... 31

Introduction- 3 -
English
1. Introduction
1.1. Features
•Powered by NVIDIA®GeForce™7900 GS Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
•Supports the newest PCI Express x16
•Integrated with 256 MB GDDR3 memory
•Supports DirectX 9.0c
•Supports NVIDIA® SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) technology (Note)
•Supports AV / S-Video and HDTV output
•Supports TV-Out connector
•Supports 2 DVI-I connectors
•Supports D-sub connector (by adapter)
1.2. Minimum System Requirements
•IBM®or 100% PC compatible with Intel®Pentium®III 650 MHz or
AMD Athlon™650 MHz class processor or higher
•One PCI Express x16 slot
•Operating Systems Windows®2000 / Windows®XP
•64 MB system memory
•50 MB of available disk space for full installation
•CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
•Minimum power supply 300 watt (To set up an SLI system with the graphics cards,
please use a power supply of 400 watt or above)
(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-NX79G256DP-RH) and from the same vendor (i.e. GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY).

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TV-out
DVI-I Connector 1
DVI-I Connector 2
2. Hardware Installation
2.1. Board Layout
TV-Out
DVI-I
Connector
1
S-Video Output
Pb/AV Output
Pr
Y
NTSC / PAL TV Projector
HDTV
OR
NTSC / PAL TV Projector
OR
Digital LCD Monitor
DVI Output
DVI-I to D-Sub
Adapter
VGA Output
Analog LCD Monitor Analog Monitor
OR
DVI-I
Connector
2

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
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.

Hardware Installation- 7 -
English
You are now ready to proceed with the installation of the graphics card driver. Please refer
to next chapter for detailed instructions.
To TV / VCR To Flat Panel Display
2. Replace the screws to fasten the card in
place, and replace the computer cover.
To install your new graphics card:
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.
* Please make sure that the gold edge connectors of the graphics card is securely inserted.
After installation, please connect the power cable to your graphics card, or
the system will not boot.
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-I connector, thenplugthe monitor
cable into the adapter.
Connect a flat panel
Connect a VGA monitor via DVI-I to D-sub adapter

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GIGABYTE Video Adapter for Nvidia Graphics Cards
(1) Connecting HDTV
Connect your HDTV cables to the 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

Hardware Installation- 9 -
English
How NVIDIA® SLI™(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 x16 PCI Express slots
to scale graphics performance. The picture below shows that two graphics cards are linked in parallel
in an SLI configuration.
Two SLI-ready graphics cards of the same type.
(Example: GV-NX79G256DP-RH)
SLI bridge connector
(provided by motherboard manufacturer)

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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.

Software Installation- 11 -
English
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.

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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.

Software Installation- 13 -
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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 Display
Driver item.
Then click the Install Display Driver item.

GV-NX79G256DP-RH Graphics Accelerator - 14 -
English
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.
3.1.4. Taskbar Icon

Software Installation- 15 -
English
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.
To access more advanced options, click the Advanced button.
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.

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In the NVIDIA Control Panel, select a category to
alter specific NVIDIA display settings.
Control Panel User Interface
You can choose one of the two user interfaces
below:
• Classic NVIDIA Control Panel
When you select this item and click Apply,
a submenu that provides the NVIDIA display
properties settings will appear on the left side.
• New NVIDIA Control Panel
This is the default user interface, which
provides control of the NVIDIA graphics driver
settings and other NVIDIA utilities you might
have installed on your system.
After pressing the Advanced button in Settings, you'll see the Plug and Play Monitor and NVIDIA
GeForce 7900 GS Properties dialog box. Click the GeForce 7900 GS tab. (You can also click the
NVIDIA icon on the taskbar and select Nvidia Display to access the GeForce 7900 GS properties
page.)
GeForce 7900 GS tab
When you access the GeForce 7900 GS tab page
for the first time, you'll see two items in the left
submenu:
Launch Page
All of the NVIDIA control panels have been
consolidated into a single application, the
NVIDIA Control Panel. Click the Start the
NVIDIA Control Panel button to open the
NVIDIA Control Panel.

Software Installation- 17 -
English
nView Display Settings properties (Note)
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 Sapn/
Vertical Span/ Dual View
• 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.
(Note) Only Single display mode is available when SLI mode is enabled.
You can select other properties from the pop-out menu.
This page shows the Adapter, System and
Driver version information.
GeForce 7900 GS properties
The following section introduces display properties settings using the classic NVIDIA control
panel interface as the example.
Display
Matrix
Model GV-NX79G256DP-RH
CRT+TV Yes
CRT+DVI Yes
DVI+TV Yes
DVI+DVI Yes

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Vertical Span Mode
(3) Vertical Span Mode:
Vertical Span mode indicates that both displays in
the display pair function as one tall virtual desktop.
The height of each display is half the height of the
total virtual desktop height.
Select Vertical Span from the nView Display
Mode list and click Apply.
(4) Dual View Mode:
Dualview mode indicates that both displays in the
display pair function as one virtual desktop. Unlike
Horizontal Span or Vertical Span mode, Dualview
treats each display as a separate device. This
means that the taskbar will not be stretched across
displays and 3D applications are not accelerated
as efficiently as when the application spans
displays.
Select DualView from the nView Display Mode
list and click Apply.
Dual View Mode
(1) Clone Mode:
Clone mode indicates that both displays in the
display pair show images of the same desktop.
Select Clone from the nView Display Mode list
and click Apply.
(2) Horizontal Span Mode:
Horizontal Span mode indicates that both displays
in the display pair function as one wide virtual
desktop. The width of each display is half the
width of the total virtual desktop width.
Select Horizontal Span from the nView Display
Mode list and click Apply.
Clone Mode
Horizontal Span Mode
Dual-Monitor Setup:
You can set the display to output from two monitors on the nView Display Settings page.
This graphics card supports the following modes: