Matrox Millennium G550 User manual

User Guide
10776-301-0205
2011.04.20
ENGLISH
Matrox Millennium G550

2 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Hardware installation
This section describes how to install your Matrox card. If your Matrox graphics card is already
installed in your computer, skip to “Connection setup”, page 6. For information specific to your
computer, like how to remove its cover, see your system manual.
1 Open your computer and
remove your existing graphics
card
*
If a graphics card isn’t already installed in
your computer, skip to step 2.
a Using the Add/Remove Program in the
Windows
Control Panel , remove any
currently installed display drivers.
Restart your computer for the changes
to take effect.
After your computer restarts, you’re
prompted to install drivers for the new
graphics hardware detected. Click
Cancel .
b Turn off your computer and all peripherals such as your monitor or printer.
c Open the computer and remove your existing graphics card. (If graphics hardware is
built into the motherboard of your computer, this graphics hardware should
automatically disable itself after your Matrox card is installed. For more information, see
your system manual.)
WARN I NG: To avoid personal injury and to prevent damage to your computer or Matrox
hardware, turn off your computer, unplug it, and then wait for it to cool before you install
your Matrox product and touch any of the internal parts of your computer.
While your computer is turned off but still plugged in, some electrical current is supplied
to the motherboard. This current may prevent newly installed hardware from working
properly.
Also, static electricity can severely damage electronic parts. Before touching any electronic
parts, drain static electricity from your body (for example, by touching the metal frame of
your computer). When handling a card, carefully hold it by its edges and avoid touching its
circuitry.
* With multi-display mode, you may be able to use your existing graphics card. For Windows 2000/XP, see Windows 2000/XP
online help under “Install additional monitors”.

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 3
2 Choose an expansion slot
Most computers have different types of
expansion slots. Choose an AGP, PCI, or PCI
Express (PCIe) slot, depending on the type
of Matrox card you have. If you have a PCI
card, your card supports both 64-bit and
32-bit PCI slots. Your system manual should
identify the location of each type of
expansion slot in your computer.
(64-bit)
(Back of computer)
(32-bit)
PCI
Express
slots
AGP slot
(×16)
(×1)
PCI
slots
Note: If you’re using a PCI graphics card in a PCI-X compatible slot, your choice of PCI
slot may affect your card or system performance. For more information, see your computer
manual.
WARN I NG: Inserting your Matrox card
into the wrong type of slot could damage
your card, your computer, or both.
If you have a PCI card and the versions
(32- or 64-bit) of your card and PCI
expansion slot are different, only part of
the card’s edge connector (the part closest
to the bracket) or expansion slot (the part
closest to the back of the computer)
should be used.
PCI card
32-bit
64-bit
PCI Express card
AGP card
×16
×1 ×4 ×8

4 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
3 Insert your Matrox card
a Position your Matrox card over the
expansion slot you’ve chosen.
b Push the card in firmly and evenly until
it’s fully seated in the slot.
c Secure the bracket of your Matrox card
to the computer frame.
Your Matrox card is now installed.
Before restarting your computer , connect your monitor or
monitors (see “Connection setup”, page 6).
After connecting , restart your computer and install your
Matrox software (see “Software installation”, page 11).
WARN I NG: If your computer doesn’t restart after your graphics card is installed, turn off
your computer to avoid damaging electronic parts. For troubleshooting information, see
page 18.

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 5
Replacing brackets on a low-profile graphics card
Most Matrox low-profile graphics cards ship with ATX brackets compatible with most systems. The
following explains how to change brackets on your Matrox product.
1 Remove the current bracket
from your Matrox graphics card
by removing the hexagonal nuts
on either side of the monitor
connector.
2 Attach and fasten the new
bracket with the two hexagonal
nuts you just removed.
ATX bracket
Low-profile bracket

6 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Connection setup
For the purpose of determining your connection setup, there are 4 types of graphics cards:
 DVI/HD-15 – a DVI (white) and an HD-15
(blue) connector
 Dual-DVI – two DVI (white) connectors
 Single-DVI – only a DVI (white) connector
 LFH-60 – only an LFH-60 (black) connector
DVI HD-15
DVI DVI
DVI
LFH-60
WARN I NG: Don’t change monitor connections while your computer is turned on. While
your computer is turned on, it may be using monitor settings that are specific to the current
monitor connections. Some devices may be permanently damaged if incorrect settings are
used.
Note: To con ne c t a digital monitor (a
monitor that uses digital input, usually a
flat panel monitor) to your Matrox
product, your monitor must have a DVI
connector. P&D and MDR-20 connectors
aren’t supported.
If you have an
analog monitor (a monitor
that uses analog input) with a DVI
connector and you want to connect it to
an HD-15 connector, you’ll need a
separate adapter. If this adapter isn’t
included with your monitor, contact your
monitor vendor.
Some monitors with DVI connectors support both digital and analog input. If you’re using
one of these monitors with your Matrox product, make sure it’s configured to use the
correct type of input. For more information, see your monitor documentation.
HD-15 connector (analog)
P&D connector
(digital) MDR-20 connector
(digital)
DVI connector
(digital) DVI connector (analog/digital)

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 7
If you have a DVI/HD-15 graphics card
If your Matrox card has a DVI and an HD-15
connector, you can connect up to two
monitors directly to your card.
You can use the HD-15 connector on your
card to connect an analog monitor.
You can use the DVI connector on your card
to connect a digital monitor.
You can also use the DVI connector to
connect an analog monitor. You should do
this only when there’s already a device
connected to the HD-15 connector. You can
connect an analog monitor with a DVI
connector directly. You can also connect an
analog monitor with an HD-15 connector
using a DVI-to-HD15 adapter. If you need
this adapter and it’s not included with your
Matrox product, contact your computer
vendor.
If you have a dual-DVI graphics card
If your Matrox card has 2 DVI connectors,
you can connect up to two monitors directly
to your card.
You can connect monitors with DVI
connectors directly to your card.
You can also connect an analog monitor
with an HD-15 connector using a DVI-to-
HD15 adapter. If you need this adapter and
it’s not included with your Matrox product,
contact your computer vendor.
HD-15
connector
DVI
connector
Monitor
connector (DVI)
Monitor connector
(HD-15)
DVI-to-HD15
adapter
Monitor connector
(HD-15)
DVI
connector
Monitor connector
(DVI)
DVI-to-HD15
adapter
DVI
connector
DVI
connector
DVI
connector
Monitor connector
(HD-15)

8 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
If you have a single-DVI graphics card
If your Matrox card only has a DVI
connector, you can connect one monitor
directly to your card or up to two monitors
using a dual-monitor cable.
You can connect a monitor with a DVI
connector directly to your card.
You can also connect an analog monitor
with an HD-15 connector using an analog
dual-monitor cable (included with certain
Matrox products) or using a DVI-to-HD15
adapter. If you need this adapter and it’s not
included with your Matrox product, contact
your computer vendor.
To use a dual-monitor cable to connect one
or two analog monitors, connect it to your
card and to your analog monitor cables. If
you’re connecting only one monitor, use the
main connector (labeled
1 or 1/3 ) of your
dual-monitor cable.
If you have an LFH-60 graphics card
If your Matrox card only has an LFH-60
connector, you can connect up to two
monitors to your card using a dual-monitor
cable. The type of monitor you can connect
to your card depends on the type of dual-
monitor cable you have.
Monitor
connector (DVI)
DVI
connector
DVI-to-HD15
adapter
Monitor connector
(HD-15)
DVI
connector
HD-15
connector (1)
HD-15
connector (2)
Dual-monitor cable
LFH-60 connector

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 9
Analog dual-monitor cable – If you’re using
an
analog dual-monitor cable (a cable with
HD-15 connectors), you can only connect
analog monitors. Connect your cable to
your card and to your analog monitor
cables. If you’re connecting only one
monitor, use the main connector (labeled
1
or
1/3 ) of your dual-monitor cable.
Digital dual-monitor cable – If you’re using
a
digital dual-monitor cable
*
(a cable with
DVI connectors), you can connect analog
and digital monitors. Attach your Matrox
dual-monitor cable to the connector on the
bracket of your Matrox card.
If your monitor has a DVI connector,
connect it directly to the main DVI
connector (
1/3 ) of your dual-monitor cable.
If your monitor has an HD-15 connector,
use the DVI-to-HD15 adapter included with
your product to connect your monitor to the
main connector.
If you’re connecting only one monitor, use
the main connector (labeled
1 or 1/3 ) of
your dual-monitor cable.
WARN I NG: To avoid damaging the LFH-60
connector on your dual-monitor cable or on your
graphics card, carefully insert the connector on your
dual-monitor cable as straight as possible into the
connector on your graphics card. Specifically,
inserting the connectors into each other at an angle is
likely to bend and damage the pins on the connector
of the dual-monitor cable.
Dual-monitor
cable
HD-15
connector (1)
HD-15
connector (2)
Analog dual-
monitor cable
Monitor
connector
(DVI)
DVI-to-HD15
adapter
Monitor connector
(HD-15)
Digital dual-
monitor cable

10 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Determining your main and secondary display
Your Matrox hardware has a main display and a secondary
display – the main display is more capable than the
secondary display. Which connector the software uses for
your main display depends on your connection setup.
 If your Matrox card has a DVI and an HD-15 connector, there are 3 conditions that
determine which connector is used for your main display:
 If a digital monitor is connected, the DVI connector is used for your main display.
 If the TV output adapter is connected, the DVI connector is used for your main
display.
 If no digital monitor or no TV output adapter is connected, the HD-15 connector is
used for your main display.
 If your Matrox card has 2 DVI connectors, the main display uses the connector labeled
A and the secondary display uses the connector labeled B .
 If your Matrox card only has a DVI connector and you’re not using a dual-monitor
cable,
this connector is used for your main display.
 If you’re connecting your monitors using a dual-monitor cable, the connectors are
numbered. The main display uses the connector labeled
1 (or 1/3 ) and the secondary
display uses the connector labeled
2 (or 2/4 ).
* The digital dual-monitor cable is only available for cards with an LFH-60 connector.
Note: Whenever you change your connection setup, make sure you’re using the correct
connectors and that all connectors are properly fastened.
Whenever you restart your computer, make sure your monitors are already turned on.
Otherwise, the software may not be able to properly detect your monitors.
Note: If a TV output adapter is included with your Matrox
product, you can use this adapter to connect a TV or video
recorder to your Matrox product. The adapter connects to the
HD-15 connector on your card or to the connector labeled
2
(or
2/4 ) on an analog dual-monitor cable. For more
information, see “TV output”, page 14.
VIDEO OUT
S-VIDEO OUT
TV output adapter

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 11
Software installation
This section describes how to install Matrox software for
Windows 2000/XP .
You may need administrator rights to install certain software.
For more information, see Windows documentation or contact
your system administrator.
1 Install display driver
Windows detects new hardware when you restart. If Matrox display drivers haven’t been
previously installed, Windows prompts you to install a display driver. Follow the on-screen
instructions. (The Matrox Windows 2000/XP display driver is in the
Win2kXP folder.)
2 Install optional software
After your computer restarts, the setup program shows you a list of additional items you can
install. Follow the on-screen instructions.
3 Set up your display software
See “Display setup”, page 12.
Note: This guide has references that are specific to the Matrox installation CD-ROM. If your Matrox
product wasn’t packaged by Matrox (for example, if it was included with your computer), your
product may not include this CD-ROM.
If you don’t have this CD-ROM, certain references in this guide may not reflect the software you
have. For more information, see other software documentation provided by your system vendor.

12 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Display setup
Windows 2000/XP – Your Matrox display driver includes Matrox PowerDesk software. This software
helps you get the most out of your Matrox graphics card. This section has important information on
how to configure your display settings using Matrox PowerDesk software.
Accessing PowerDesk property sheets
Many display controls are on Matrox PowerDesk property sheets. You can identify
Matrox PowerDesk property sheets by the icon appearing on the tab.
To access these property sheets, right-click your Windows desktop background, then click
Properties
Æ Settings Æ Advanced . If you’re using a multi-display desktop, select a display before clicking
Advanced .
Also, to quickly access PowerDesk features, click the Matrox QuickDesk icon ( ) on your Windows
taskbar. To see the QuickDesk icon in Windows XP, you may need to click the
Show hidden icons
button ( ) on your Windows taskbar.
Monitor setup
Before changing your display resolution, color palette, or other Matrox PowerDesk settings, make
sure correct software monitor settings are selected. If you have a Plug-and-Play (DDC) monitor, the
correct settings are usually automatically selected. The following explains how to make sure your
monitor settings are okay.
If you have a Plug-and-Play (DDC) monitor, Windows should automatically use the correct
settings for your monitor. To make sure the correct monitor is selected in Windows:
1 Right-click your Windows desktop background, then click Properties Æ Settings .
2 Depending on what version of Windows you have, click Change Display Type , or
Advanced Properties Æ Monitor , or Advanced Æ Monitor . If you’re using a multi-display
desktop, select a display before clicking
Advanced .
Note: Multi-display mode is supported under Windows 2000/XP. For more information
on multi-display mode, see Windows 2000/XP online help under “Multiple Display
support”.
WARN I NG: If incorrect software monitor settings are applied, some monitors can be
permanently damaged. For more information, see your monitor manual.

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 13
3 If the monitor name listed doesn’t match your monitor, click the Change button to select
a new monitor name. Follow the on-screen instructions.
For more information on Windows monitor settings, see Windows documentation.
If you want to customize your Windows monitor settings (analog monitors only):
1 Access the PowerDesk Monitor Settings property sheet (see “Accessing PowerDesk
property sheets”, page 12).
2 Depending on what you want to do, click one of the buttons in the Monitor settings
selection method
box, then follow the on-screen instructions.
DualHead Multi-Display setup
With your Matrox graphics card, you can enable a second display (for example, a computer monitor
or a TV) as part of your Windows desktop. This is the Matrox
DualHead Multi-Display feature. To use
this feature:
When you first restart your computer, you’ll be prompted to enable the DualHead Multi-Display
feature. Follow the on-screen instructions. For more information, see the online help.
Other DualHead features
If your Matrox graphics card has a second monitor connector you can also use these features:
 DualHead Clone – View a copy of your main display on your secondary display. Each
display can use different monitor settings (refresh rates).
 DualHead Zoom – Use your secondary display to view a zoomed-in portion of your main
display.
 DualHead DVDMax – Play digital video in a window on your main display and, at the
same time, view that video full-screen on your secondary display.
More PowerDesk information
For more information on Matrox PowerDesk:
 For context-sensitive help where available, click the “ ” icon in the title bar, then click
the item you want help on. Right-click a help topic for a pop-up menu that lets you print
or copy it. (Some help topics are only available through context-sensitive help.)
 Access the Matrox PowerDesk Information property sheet (see “Accessing PowerDesk
property sheets”, page 12), then click
Help or View Readme File .

14 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
TV output
You can use the TV output adapter to connect a TV or video
recorder to view or record the secondary display of your
Matrox graphics card. If a TV output adapter wasn’t included
with your Matrox product, you can purchase it separately (see
http://shopmatrox.com). This section describes how to use the
TV output feature.
Connection setup
1 Turn off computer
Windows 2000/XP – To shut down your computer, click Start Æ Shut Down Æ Shut down Æ
OK , then turn off your computer.
2 Attach TV adapter
If your Matrox card has an HD-15
connector, attach your Matrox TV output
adapter to this connector. If you’re using an
analog dual-monitor cable, attach your TV
output adapter to the connector labeled
2
(or
2/4 ).
Note: TV output isn’t supported with full-screen DOS display modes (for example, the
information you see before Windows starts) or with standard VGA mode (for example,
when you restart Windows in “safe mode”). Older programs may use these display modes.
While one of these display modes is in use, your TV displays nothing (black).
VIDEO OUT
S-VIDEO OUT
TV output adapter
WARN I NG: Don’t change monitor connections while your computer is turned on. While
your computer is turned on, it may be using monitor settings that are specific to the current
monitor connections.
If a display device (monitor, TV or video recorder) is connected while your computer is
using settings intended for another display device, the display of the new device may be
garbled or unusable.
Some devices may be permanently damaged if incorrect settings are
used.
TV output
adapter

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 15
If your Matrox card has 2 DVI connectors,
use a DVI-to-HD15 adapter to connect the
TV output adapter to the secondary DVI
connector (
B ) of your graphics card.
3 Connect video output
To connect to a TV or a video recorder, you’ll
need a composite video (RCA) or S-video
cable.
If your video device (a TV or a video
recorder) didn’t come with one of these
cables, these types of cable are available at
most electronics stores. The type of cable
you use depends on what your video device
supports. Many video devices support
composite video connections, and some
higher-quality video devices support
S-video connections.
a Attach one end of your composite video
or S-video cable to the appropriate
connector on your TV adapter.
b Attach the other end to the VIDEO IN
*
connector on your TV
†
or video
recorder.
c Before viewing or recording video
output directly from your computer,
make sure your TV or video recorder is
set up to use
line input. For example, if
your TV has a
TV/VIDEO switch, set it to
VIDEO ; or if your video recorder has a
TUNER/LINE switch, set it to LINE .
TV output
adapter
* The labels on your devices may not be consistent with what’s in this guide. Different manufacturers sometimes use different labels
for the same type of controls and connectors. For example, the VIDEO IN connector on your TV may be labeled VIDEO 1 (or VIDEO
2
). To match labels, see the documentation for your video devices.
† If your TV only has an antenna or cable TV connector, you can use an RF modulator to connect it to your Matrox card. RF
modulators are available at most electronics stores.
TV or video recorder
using S-video
Composite
video (RCA)
cable
S-video cable
TV or video recorder
using composite video
TV adapter
(Note: Using the Matrox composite
video and S-video connectors at the
same time is optional.)

16 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Optionally, if you use the composite video and S-video connectors on your Matrox TV
adapter, you can directly connect two different video devices at the same time.
To v i e w
and record output from the same Matrox video connector, you can connect it to a
video recorder and connect the video recorder to a TV. For more information, see your video
recorder and TV manuals.
4 Connect audio output
Typically, the sound output from a
computer comes from speakers connected
to your sound card. If you prefer, you can
hear or record the sound output from your
computer using the same TV or video
recorder you connect to your graphics card.
To do this, you need an audio cable with a
stereo jack on one end and two RCA
connectors on the other end. If you don’t
have this type of cable, you can buy one at
most consumer electronics stores.
a Plug the stereo-jack end of the audio
cable into the
LINE OUT
*
()
connector on your sound card.
b Plug the other end of the cable into the
left (
L ) and right ( R ) AUDIO IN
connectors of your video device. For
more information, see your sound card
manual.
Software setup
If a TV or video recorder is connected to your Matrox product, you can use TV output mode to view
or record your display on your TV or video recorder. (To connect video devices to your computer, see
page 14.)
TV settings have lower resolutions and refresh rates than typical computer monitor settings. Lower
refresh rates may result in more noticeable flicker.
Windows 2000/XP –
 To add a TV to your Windows desktop, see Matrox PowerDesk help.
* If your computer has no audio LINE OUT connector, you can use its SPKR (speaker) connector instead. In this case, all your
computer sound output goes to the video device you connected to.
TV or video
recorder
Sound card

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 17
 To use TV output, you can use the DualHead Clone , DualHead Zoom , or DualHead
DVDMax
features (see “Other DualHead features”, page 13).
 To adjust TV settings, access the Matrox PowerDesk DualHead property sheet (see
“Accessing PowerDesk property sheets”, page 12).
For more information on how you can use your secondary display, see Matrox PowerDesk
help.
Note: Two TV standards are supported for TV output. The NTSC standard is used in North
America and Japan, among other places. The PAL standard is used in most of Western
Europe and in China, among other places.
If an incorrect TV standard is selected in Matrox software, the output from your computer
may not appear or record properly on your TV or your video recorder. To find out what
standard your TV or video recorder supports, see its documentation.

18 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Troubleshooting
Basic procedures
This section explains basic procedures that are referred to by some troubleshooting items in this
guide.
Restarting in VGA mode
Windows 2000/XP – What follows is information on how to restart your computer in VGA mode .
1 Click Start Æ Shut Down Æ Restart Æ OK * to restart your computer. (* Depending on
your version and configuration of Windows, this part of the step may not be necessary.)
If your primary monitor is unusable, see your system manual for information on how to
restart your computer using a hardware control.
2 Before Windows starts, press [F8] for the Windows startup menu to appear. (If [F8]
doesn’t work, instead try pressing and holding [Ctrl] before Windows starts.)
3 Select “VGA mode”, then press [Enter].
Graphics – Main troubleshooting
This section addresses possible problems that could prevent you from using your computer.
Problem Computer doesn’t display information or boot after Matrox card is
installed
1
Cause Your Matrox card may not be properly installed.
1
Solution Make sure your Matrox card is properly installed. Specifically, make sure the card is firmly
inserted in its expansion slot and that all connections to it are firmly in place. For more
information, see “Hardware installation”, page 2.
2
Cause There may be an unsupported graphics adapter in your computer.
1
Solution If an unsupported graphics card is plugged into an expansion slot, remove it.
2
Solution If a graphics adapter is built into your computer motherboard, your system may not have
automatically disabled it when you inserted your Matrox card. Check your system manual for
instructions on how to disable your computer’s built-in graphics adapter.

Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide 19
3
Cause Your computer BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) may not be up to date. For more
information on your computer BIOS, see your system manual.
1
Solution Reinstall your previous graphics card and, if possible, update your computer BIOS. This can
usually be done with software from the manufacturer of your computer. Contact your system
vendor or manufacturer to get a BIOS update for your computer.
To get the correct BIOS update, you may need to know the serial number your computer
displays when it restarts. (This number is usually in the lower-left corner of the display.)
4
Cause The BIOS of your Matrox graphics card may need to be updated or restored.
1
Solution For advanced users – If you have another VGA-compatible graphics card (PCI), you can try
resetting the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card.
1 Turn off your computer and insert the other graphics card into an expansion slot. For
more information on expansion slots, see “Choose an expansion slot”, page 3.
2 Plug your monitor into the other graphics card and restart your computer.
3 Insert your Matrox installation CD-ROM.
4 Click Start Æ Run , type D:\Sysutils . You will need to use the PBIOSWin program to
update the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card. For more information on how to use this
program, see the
Readme file in the Sysutils folder.
5 Turn off your computer, remove the other graphics card, then plug your monitor into
your Matrox graphics card.
6 Restart your computer.
Note: Make sure your computer uses the other graphics card to control your primary
display. The graphics card that controls your primary display is the one that first displays
information when you restart your computer. (A DualHead-supporting graphics card may
display this startup information on both of its displays at the same time.)
Your computer BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and the slot type (AGP, PCI, or PCIe –
see “Choose an expansion slot”, page 3) of each graphics card help determine which
graphics card controls your primary display.
To control which graphics card is used for your primary display, you may be able to change
the configuration of your computer BIOS. For information on how to change your
computer BIOS settings, see your system manual.

20 Matrox Graphics Card – User Guide
Problem Wrong color balance, screen image off-center, or no picture at all
1
Cause Your monitor video controls may be improperly set.
1
Solution Adjust your monitor controls (brightness, contrast, and so on). For more information, see
your monitor manual.
2
Cause Your monitor may not be properly connected.
1
Solution Make sure you’re using the correct connectors and that all connectors are properly fastened.
2
Solution Make sure the monitor power cable is firmly in place.
3
Solution Make sure the connection to the back of the monitor is firmly in place.
If your monitor uses BNC input, make sure the
Red (
R ), Green ( G ), Blue ( B ), Horizontal Sync
(
HSYNC – white or gray wire), and Vertical Sync
(
VSYNC – black wire) connections are firmly in
place and plugged into the correct input.
3
Cause If your monitor uses BNC input, one or more connection settings may be incorrect.
1
Solution Set each of your monitor RGB input and sync switches (if available) to 75 ohms, with the sync
set to “external”. These controls are usually switches on the back of your monitor.
4
Cause If display problems occur after the startup screen of your operating system, your software
monitor settings may be incorrect.
1
Solution Make sure correct software monitor setings are selected.
If your primary display is still usable, see “Monitor setup”, page 12. Otherwise, see the next
troubleshooting item.
BNC connectors