Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H User manual

Apr. 17, 2007
VGA Card
GV-NX86S256H

VGACard
Apr. 17, 2007
GV-NX86S256H

* 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-NX86S256H
GeForce™8600 GTS Graphics Accelerator
User's Manual
Rev. 101
12MD-NX86S2H-101R
Copyright
© 2007 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Due to rapid change in technology, some of the specifications might be out of date before publication of this booklet.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.

GV-NX86S256H Graphics Accelerator - 2 -
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 3
1.1. Features ..................................................................................................... 3
1.2. 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 .............................................................................................. 25
3.2. Windows®2000 Driver Installation ............................................................. 30
4. Troubleshooting Tips ........................................................................ 31
5. Appendix .......................................................................................... 32
5.1. Reflash BIOS in MS-DOS Mode ................................................................ 32
5.2. Resolutions and Color Depth Table (In Windows®XP) ............................... 33

Introduction- 3 -
English
1. Introduction
1.1. Features
•Powered by NVIDIA®GeForce™8600 GTS Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
•Supports PCI Express x16
•Integrated with 256 MB GDDR3 memory
•Supports DirectX 10
•Supports NVIDIA® SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) technology (Note)
•Supports AV / S-Video / TV-Out and HDTV output
•Supports 2 DVI-I connectors
•Supports 2 D-sub connectors (by adapter)
•Supports HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) technology
1.2. Minimum System Requirements
•Hardware
- Intel®Pentium®4 or AMD AthlonTM
- 128 MB of system memory; 2 GB or more for best performance
- Optical drive for software installation (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive)
- A power supply with 450-watt is recommended
•Operating System
- Windows®Vista
- Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
- Windows®XP Professional x64 Edition
- Windows®2000
•SLITM Configuration
If you are planning on using this graphics card as part of an SLITM system, the
following is required:
- An SLITM certified motherboard with two PCI Express x16 slots and correct PCIe
chipset driver
- Two GV-NX86S256H
- A power supply with 1000-watt or above is recommended
- An SLITM bridge connector
(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-NX86S256H) and from the same vendor (i.e. GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY).

GV-NX86S256H Graphics Accelerator - 4 -
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2. Hardware Installation
2.1. Board Layout
TV-out
DVI-I Connector 1
DVI-I Connector 2
SLI Connector
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.
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.

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.
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
displace the heat pipe and cause bad contact
between the GPU and thermal pad as well as
affect the heat dissipation. To avoid system
instability, do not touch the graphics card when
it is runnnig .
When installing the graphics card, do
not push down the heat pipe. This may

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GIGABYTE Thermal Solution Guidelines:
1. GIGABYTE established the use of silent pipes on graphics card's thermal solution, and has been
the leading company for silent thermal solution. GIGABYTE's passive thermal solution allows
system to work perfectly in chassis with 40~50 degrees Celsius through the air flow of the system.
Please beware of the other excess component or insufficient system thermal design that may
cause high system temperature. Excess high temperature will affect the passive thermal design
and thus compromising system stability.
2. GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY's passive thermal design effectively implemented heat exchange,
radiation and convection to improve stability of the system. Please maintain passive thermal sink
at a normal and clean environment. Extra dust on heatsink may decrease the effectiveness of the
thermal design.
Silent Thermal Technology Passive Thermal Design
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)
Connect to the TV-Out port
on the graphics card.
S-Video Out HDTV Component
(Y+Pr+Pb)
AV Out

Hardware Installation- 9 -
English
(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.
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 PCI Express x16 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-NX88X768H-RH)
SLI bridge connector
(provided by motherboard manufacturer)

GV-NX86S256H Graphics Accelerator - 10 -
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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 -
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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.

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

GV-NX86S256H Graphics Accelerator - 14 -
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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.
Right click the icon.
3.1.4. Taskbar Icon
You can adjust the properties of
the graphics accelerator from
here.

Software Installation- 15 -
English
3.1.5. Display Properties Pages
To access Display Properties pages, 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.
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.
Access the GeForce 8600 GTS tab page to launch
the NVIDIA Control Panel
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.
To access more advanced options, click the Advanced button.
NVIDIA Control Panel
After pressing the Advanced button in Settings, you'll see the Plug and Play Monitor and NVIDIA
GeForce 8600 GTS Properties dialog box. Click the GeForce 8600 GTS tab. (You can also click the
NVIDIA icon on the taskbar and select NVIDIA Control Panel.)

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In the NVIDIA Control Panel, select a category to
alter specific NVIDIA display settings.
The categories are:
3D Settings
Display
Video & Television
3D Settings
Tasks in the 3D Settings pages allow you to do the following:
•Change the image and rendering settings of
your 3D applications and games that utilize
Direct3D and OpenGL technology.
•Override the shipped clocked frequencies of
your GPU and GPU memory to increase your
GPU performance.
•Assign specific 3D settings to a game so that
these settings automatically load when a game
is launched.
•Enable NVIDIA Scalable Link Interface (SLI)
technology for SLI-capable systems and
NVIDIA GPU-based graphics cards.
In the NVIDIA Control Panel, select a view mode.
The supported modes are:
Standard
Advanced
Custom

Software Installation- 17 -
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Manage 3D Settings (Note)
The Manage 3D Settings page enables you to
establish default 3D settings to use for all your
Direct3D or OpenGL applications and to establish
a unique set of 3D settings for a particular game
or application.
Monitor Temperature Levels
Use this page if you overclock your GPU and
want to see how your GPU heats up over
time. You can monitor the current temperature
of your NVIDIA GPU and track its temperature
history. When appropriate, the GPU will
automatically slow down to run at a lower
temperature.
Performance
Image Settings with Preview
If you are unfamiliar with 3D technology or not
an advanced graphics user, use the Adjust
Image Settings with Preview page to preview
any changes you make for improved image
quality and rendering.
Appearance
(Note) This item is present only in Advanced view mode.

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Display
A variety of display features enable you to further manipulate and configure your display settings to
optimize the use of your displays. Tasks in the Display pages allow you to do the following:
Appearance
• Run display optimization wizard
• Move CRT screen position
• Change resolution attributes
• Adjust desktop color settings
• Rotate display
• Manage custom timings (Note 1)
Multiple Displays
• Run multiple display wizard (Note 2)
• Change display configuration
Run Display Optimization Wizard
This wizard helps you adjust your displays for
optimal viewing and repersentation of colors.
Move CRT Screen Position
You can use your mouse (by clicking on the
arrow keys on this page) or the arrow keys on
your keyboard to adjust the position of your
desktop to better fit your display. This is a
useful alternative to using the controls (buttons)
on your actual physical display.
(Note 1) This item is present only in Advanced view mode.
(Note 2) This item will show up when you connect two monitors.
Appearance