MSI MX400 Series User manual

I
MX400 Series
Graphics Accelerator
USERS’ GUIDE
USERS’ GUIDE
Version 1.0
Oct. 2001
G52-MA00455

II
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interfer-
ence when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and,
if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own
expense.
Notice 1
The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party re-
sponsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
Notice 2
Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in
order to comply with the emission limits.
VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU
RESEAU.
8826 8833 8835

III
Copyright Notice
The material in this document is the intellectual property of MICRO-
STAR INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this
document, but no guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents.
Our products are under continual improvement and we reserve the right
to make changes without notice.
Trademarks
All trademarks used in this manual are the property of their respective
owners.
VGA is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Revision History
Revision Date
V 1.0 October 2001

IV
Important Safety Precautions
Always read and follow these basic safety precautions carefully when
handling any piece of electronic component.
1. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.
2. Keep this equipment away from humidity.
3. Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.
4. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects
the equipment from overheating.
5. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly
110/220V before connecting the equipment to the power inlet.
6. Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it.
Do not place anything over the power cord.
7. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card
or module.
8. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.
9. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or
cause electrical shock.
10. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked
by a service personnel:
The power cord or plug is damaged
Liquid has penetrated into the equipment
The equipment has been exposed to moisture
The equipment has not work well or you can not get it work
according to User’s Manual
The equipment has dropped and damaged
If the equipment has obvious sign of breakage
11. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT
UNCONDITIONED, STORAGE TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600 C
(1400F), IT MAY DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT.

V
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 The nVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 GPU ............................................... 1-1
1.2 System Requirements .................................................................. 1-1
1.3 The MX400 Series ......................................................................... 1-2
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation
2.1 Card Installation ............................................................................ 2-1
2.2 VGA Connector (DB 15-Pin) .......................................................... 2-3
2.3 Digital Panel Connector (DVI-I) .................................................... 2-4
2.4 TV_Out Connector (C) ................................................................... 2-5
2.5 TV_Out Connector (S) ................................................................... 2-5
2.6 Video_In Connector (C) ................................................................ 2-6
2.7 Video_In Connector (S) ................................................................ 2-6
Chapter 3 Software Installation
3.1 Drivers for Windows®98/ME ......................................................... 3-1
3.2 Drivers for Windows®2000/NT ..................................................... 3-2
3.3 Install nVIDIA Capture Driver ........................................................ 3-4
3.4 Install Optional Software ............................................................... 3-5
3.5 Surf the Web .................................................................................. 3-5
3.6 More Information ........................................................................... 3-6
3.7 Display Adjustment ....................................................................... 3-7
Chapter 4 MSI Live Update Series
4.1 Installing MSI Live Update Series ................................................. 4-1
4.2 Using MSI Live Update Series ...................................................... 4-2
4.3 Live VGA Driver Update ................................................................. 4-2
4.4 Live VGA BIOS Update .................................................................. 4-7
4.5 SafeBIOS™................................................................................. 4-12
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting
5.1 General Help ................................................................................. 5-1
5.2 Display Problem ........................................................................... 5-2
Chapter 6 3D Stereo Glasses
6.1 The 3D Stereo Glasses Package................................................. 6-1
6.2 Installing the 3D Stereo Glasses ................................................. 6-2
6.3 Installing the 3D TheaterTM ........................................................... 6-4
6.4 Using the 3D TheaterTM ................................................................ 6-8
6.5 Optimizing the 3D Stereo Glasses ............................................. 6-12
6.6 Health Warning ........................................................................... 6-14

VI
This users’ guide is a compound designing for a series of VGA cards. The layout
of each VGA card may be different, and some functions are optional design to
meet your need.
In Chapter 1, the brief specification and function of each VGA card are listed
whereas the detailed information can be found in the rest of chapters. We have
collected all possible functions in Chapter 2-6, the rest of chapters; however, all
functions are not suitable for your VGA card. So, in Chapter 1, the “Reference”
item will index the proper sections. These sections may be useful while your are
installing the hardware or software. We also list some solutions if you have trouble
in using or updating your VGA card.
<Features>
<Packa
g
e Content s >
<Layout>
xxxxxxx
nVIDIA GeForc e2 GTS Pro GPU
64MB DDR RAM
Video Enc oder
VGA Flash BIOS
AGP Interface
Fan connector
VGA port
S_OUT
AV _ O U T
S_IN
Per-Pixel Shading, 8 Texels Per Clock
2nd-generation T&L Engines
Integrated Single-link TMDS Transmitter
256-bit Graphics A rchitecture
Double Data Rate (DDR) Memory
AGP 4X with Fast Writes
Industry's only true 32-bit Z/Stencil
DirectX Texture Com pression Support
1.6 Giga Texel Fill Rate
<Reference>
1. Introduction..........................................................................1-1
2. Hardware Installation
3. Software Installation.............................................................3-1
4. MSI Live Upda te Series
5. Troubleshooting.....................................................................5-1
2.1 Card Installation..................................................................2-1
2.2 VGA Connector (DB 15-Pin)................................................2-3
2.5 Video_Out Connector............................................................2-5
2.6 S_In Connector.....................................................................2-6
2.7 S_Out Connector...................................................................2-6
4.1 Installing MSI Live Update Series........................................4-1
4.2 Using MSI Live Update Series..............................................4-2
4.3 Live VGA Drive BIOS Update...............................................4-2
General Features
U np ack th e pac k age a nd in sp ec t al l t he i te ms c ar ef ul ly . If a ny i t em c on t ai ned i s
damaged or missing, please contact your local dealer as soon as possible. Also, keep
the box and packing materials in case you need to ship the unit in the future.
Your VGA card pa ckage should co nt ai n t he fo ll o wi ng items:
VG A c ard
Software Pack CDs
Us ers' Ma nu al
The product name of the VGA card
The layout of the VGA
card
The components on
the VGA card
The specifications of
the VGA card
The suitable sections
for this VGA card
Key to Entries
How to Use this Users’ Guide
Special Hardware
Features
The package contents
of this VGA card

1-1
Congratulations on purchasing the VGA card with nVIDIA GeForce2
MX400 GPU, a high performance graphics accelerator that enables
you to experience the realistic and exciting 3D world.
Based on nVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 GPU, the VGA card uses the first
shading GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) with the new nVIDIA Shad-
ing Rasterizer and a High Definition Video Processor (HDVP). Incor-
porating a radical new per-pixel shading architecture, nVIDIA
GeForce2 MX400 GPU is the real-time, per-pixel shading processor,
raising image quality to never-before-seen heights for interactive
content.
The VGA card delivers the industry fastest Direct3D and OpenGL
acceleration, and continues nVIDIA’s tradition of providing leadership,
single-chip, integrated VGA, 2D, 3D and high definition digital video
performance, enabling a range of applications from 3D games to
HDTV, DVD, digital content creation, internet browsing and general
productivity.
1.2 System Requirements
To install the VGA card, your system needs to meet the following
requirements:
Computer Intel®Pentium II/III/4 processor,
Intel®Celeron processor, or
compatible system
Expansion Slot AGP slot
Monitor VGA support, minimum 640 x 480
resolution
Operating System Windows®98/ME, Windows®NT 4.0,
Windows®2000, XP
CD-ROM Drive Double Speed or Higher
1. Introduction
1.1 The nVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 GPU
INTRODUCTION
11
11
1

1-2
1.3 The MX400 Series
MX400 Pro-TC64S
nVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 GPU
64MB SDRAM
Video Encoder
VGA Flash BIOS
AGP Interface
VGA port
TV_Out connector (S)
TV_Out connector (C)
<Layout>
<Features>
General Features
Optimized for Direct3D acceleration with complete support for
Microsoft DirectX 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.1
256-bit 2D and 3D graphics accelerator
350MHz Palette-DAC
128-bit Memory Interface
Digital Dual Display Architecture
nVIDIA Shading Rasteriser
4 Texels per Clock
Integrated second-generation transform and lighting engine
32-bit color with 32-bit Z/stencil
Cube Environment mapping
DirectX and S3TC texture compression
700 Mtexel fill rate
20Mtriangles/sec setup

1-3
Note: The Display Modes listed above are for your reference; the actual
settings may be different on your system because of using different
monitors.
2.8GB/second memory bandwidth
Support 64/128-bit SDRAM
AGP 4x fast writes
Supports NTSC, NTSC-EIA(Japan), and PAL(B, D, G, H, I, M, and N)
TV formats
High quality video playback
DVD and HDTV ready motion compensation for MPEG-2 decoding
up to 1920x1080i ATSC format
Support for VIP 2.0 interface
Full Software Support
Windows®95 / 98 /ME / 2000 / NT / XP Display Drivers
OpenGL ICD for Windows®95 / 98 /ME / 2000 / NT / XP
Linux® compatible
Mac®OS compatible
Supports super high resolution graphics modes
640x480 8/16/32 bit colors with 150Hz
800x600 8/16/32 bit colors with 150Hz
1024x768 8/16/32 bit colors with 120Hz
1152x864 8/16/32 bit colors with 120Hz
1280x1024 8/16/32 bit colors with 100Hz
1600x1200 8/16/32 bit colors with 85Hz
1920x1200 8/16/32 bit colors with 75Hz
2048x1536 8/16 bit colors with 60Hz

1-4
Unpack the package and inspect all the items carefully. If any item con-
tained is damaged or missing, please contact your local dealer as soon
as possible. Also, keep the box and packing materials in case you need
to ship the unit in the future.
Your VGA card package should contain the following items:
VGA card
Software
Pack CDs
Users’
Manual
<Reference>
1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 1-1
2. Hardware Installation
2.1 Card Installation ............................................................................. 2-1
2.2 VGA Connector (DB 15-Pin) ........................................................... 2-3
2.4 TV_Out Connector (C) .................................................................... 2-5
2.5 TV_Out Connector (S) .................................................................... 2-5
3. Software Installation ............................................................................. 3-1
4. MSI Live Update Series
4.1 Installing MSI Live Update Series .................................................. 4-1
4.2 Using MSI Live Update Series ....................................................... 4-2
4.3 Live VGA Drive Update .................................................................. 4-2
4.4 Live VGA BIOS Update .................................................................. 4-7
5. Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 5-1
<Package Contents>

1-5
MX400 Pro-VT32S
<Layout>
<Features>
J1
J2
Work
Mode
PAL
Mode
NTSC
Mode
Safe
Mode
nVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 GPU
32MB SDRAM
Video Encoder
VGA SafeBIOSTM
AGP Interface
Fan connector
VGA port
TV_Out connector (S)
TV_Out connector (C)
Video_In connector (S)
VGA SafeBIOSTM jumper (J1)
TV mode jumper (J2)
General Features
Optimized for Direct3D acceleration with complete support for
Microsoft DirectX 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.1
256-bit 2D and 3D graphics accelerator
350MHz Palette-DAC
128-bit Memory Interface
Digital Dual Display Architecture
nVIDIA Shading Rasteriser
4 Texels per Clock
Integrated second-generation transform and lighting engine
32-bit color with 32-bit Z/stencil
Cube Environment mapping
DirectX and S3TC texture compression
700 Mtexel fill rate
20Mtriangles/sec setup

1-6
Note: The Display Modes listed above are for your reference; the actual
settings may be different on your system because of using different
monitors.
2.8GB/second memory bandwidth
Support 128-bit SDRAM w/ 200MHz
Supports NTSC, NTSC-EIA(Japan), and PAL(B, D, G, H, I, M, and N)
TV formats
Supports Video In (Capture) function (S/AV)
MSI Safe BIOSTM Technology support
High quality video playback
DVD and HDTV ready motion compensation for MPEG-2 decoding
up to 1920x1080i ATSC format
Full Software Support
Windows®95 / 98 /ME / 2000 / NT / XP Display Drivers
OpenGL ICD for Windows®95 / 98 /ME / 2000 / NT / XP
Linux® compatible
Mac®OS compatible
Supports super high resolution graphics modes
640x480 8/16/32 bit colors with 150Hz
800x600 8/16/32 bit colors with 150Hz
1024x768 8/16/32 bit colors with 120Hz
1152x864 8/16/32 bit colors with 120Hz
1280x1024 8/16/32 bit colors with 100Hz
1600x1200 8/16/32 bit colors with 85Hz
1920x1200 8/16/32 bit colors with 75Hz
2048x1536 8/16 bit colors with 60Hz

1-7
VGA card
Software
Pack CDs
Users’
Manual
<Reference>
<Package Contents>
Unpack the package and inspect all the items carefully. If any item con-
tained is damaged or missing, please contact your local dealer as soon
as possible. Also, keep the box and packing materials in case you need
to ship the unit in the future.
Your VGA card package should contain the following items:
1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 1-1
2. Hardware Installation
2.1 Card Installation ............................................................................. 2-1
2.2 VGA Connector (DB 15-Pin) ........................................................... 2-3
2.4 TV_Out Connector (C) .................................................................... 2-5
2.5 TV_Out Connector (S) .................................................................... 2-5
2.6 Video_In Connector (S) ................................................................. 2-6
3. Software Installation ............................................................................. 3-1
4. MSI Live Update Series
4.1 Installing MSI Live Update Series .................................................. 4-1
4.2 Using MSI Live Update Series ....................................................... 4-2
4.3 Live VGA Drive Update .................................................................. 4-2
4.4 Live VGA BIOS Update .................................................................. 4-7
4.5 Safe BIOSTM ................................................................................. 4-12
5. Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 5-1

1-8
MX400 Pro2-T32S
<Layout>
<Features>
nVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 GPU
32MB SDRAM
Video Encoder
VGA Flash BIOS
AGP Interface
VGA port
TV_Out connector (S)
General Features
Optimized for Direct3D acceleration with complete support for
Microsoft DirectX 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.1
256-bit 2D and 3D graphics accelerator
350MHz Palette-DAC
128-bit Memory Interface
Integrated Dual 135MHz LVDS/TMDS Transmitter
nVIDIA Shading Rasteriser
4 Texels per Clock
Integrated second-generation transform and lighting engine
32-bit color with 32-bit Z/stencil
Cube Environment mapping
DirectX and S3TC texture compression
700 Mtexel fill rate
20Mtriangles/sec setup

1-9
Note: The Display Modes listed above are for your reference; the actual
settings may be different on your system because of using different
monitors.
2.8GB/second memory bandwidth
Support 64/128-bit SDRAM
AGP 4x fast writes
Support NTSC, NTSC-EIA (Japan), and PAL (B, D, G, H, I, M, and N)
TV formats
High quality video playback
DVD and HDTV ready motion compensation for MPEG-2 decoding
up to 1920x1080i ATSC format
Support for VIP 2.0 interface
Full Software Support
Windows®95 / 98 /ME / 2000 / NT / XP Display Drivers
OpenGL ICD for Windows®95 / 98 /ME / 2000 / NT / XP
Linux® compatible
Mac®OS compatible
Supports super high resolution graphics modes
640x480 8/16/32 bit colors with 150Hz
800x600 8/16/32 bit colors with 150Hz
1024x768 8/16/32 bit colors with 120Hz
1152x864 8/16/32 bit colors with 120Hz
1280x1024 8/16/32 bit colors with 100Hz
1600x1200 8/16/32 bit colors with 85Hz
1920x1200 8/16/32 bit colors with 75Hz
2048x1536 8/16 bit colors with 60Hz

1-10
VGA card
Software
Pack CDs
Users’
Manual
<Reference>
<Package Contents>
Unpack the package and inspect all the items carefully. If any item con-
tained is damaged or missing, please contact your local dealer as soon
as possible. Also, keep the box and packing materials in case you need
to ship the unit in the future.
Your VGA card package should contain the following items:
1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 1-1
2. Hardware Installation
2.1 Card Installation ............................................................................. 2-1
2.2 VGA Connector (DB 15-Pin) ........................................................... 2-3
2.5 TV_Out Connector (S) .................................................................... 2-5
3. Software Installation ............................................................................. 3-1
4. MSI Live Update Series
4.1 Installing MSI Live Update Series .................................................. 4-1
4.2 Using MSI Live Update Series ....................................................... 4-2
4.3 Live VGA Drive Update .................................................................. 4-2
4.4 Live VGA BIOS Update .................................................................. 4-7
5. Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 5-1

2-1
To install the VGA card to your computer, please follow the steps
below:
Installation on new system
1. Remove the computer case.
2. Locate the AGP slot on your mainboard.
Warning: Inserting your VGA card into a wrong type of slot
(e.g. PCI slot) will damage your card (refer to your mainboard
manual for more information).
3. Put the card directly over the AGP slot and press one end
of the card into the slot first. Slightly but firmly press the
other end until it is fully seated in the slot.
4. Secure the card with a bracket screw.
5. Install all other cards and devices and connect all the
cables, and then replace the case.
6. Connect the monitor. Now, you are ready to install the
software on your computer.
2. Hardware Installation
2.1 Card Installation
VGA card
*The appearance may
be different by different
models
Mainboard
Bracket screw
AGP slot
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
22
22
2

2-2
Installation on system with existing VGA card
To replace the existing VGA card to your computer, please follow the
steps below:
1. If your operating environment is Windows®NT system, switch your
display driver to standard VGA first (refer to Windows®NT docu-
mentation for more information). If you are using Windows®98/
ME/2000, skip this step.
2. Turn off the computer and unplug all the cables and power cords.
3. Remove the computer case.
4. Remove the existing VGA card. Locate the AGP slot on your
mainboard.
Warning: Inserting the VGA card into a wrong type of slot (e.g.
PCI slot) will damage your card (refer to your mainboard manual
for more information).
5. Put the card directly over the AGP slot and press one end of the
card into the slot first. Slightly but firmly press the other end until
it is fully seated in the slot.
6. Secure the card with a bracket screw.
7. Replace the case.
8. Connect the monitor (see previous section).
9. Restart the computer. Now, you are ready to install the driver for
the VGA card.

2-3
2.2 VGA Connector (DB 15-Pin)
The VGA card provides a standard VGA connector, which allows you to
connect a CRT or LCD monitor. Simply plug your monitor cable into the
VGA connector on your VGA card, and make sure that the other end of
the cable is properly connected to your monitor (refer to your monitor
manual for more information).
CRT Monitor
LCD Monitor
VGA Connector
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Analog Video Display Connector (DB15-S)
Pin Signal Description
Red
Green
Blue
Not used
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
5V
Ground
Not used
SDA
Horizontal Sync
Vertical Sync
SCL
1
1115
5
VGA Connector Pin Definition

2-4
DVI-I Connector Pin Definition
DVI connector
*T.M.D.S. Technology
The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use Transition Minimized Differential Signaling
(T.M.D.S.)technology. TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to 8-bits of data into a 10-bit
transition minimixed, DC balanced character, which are transition-minimized to reduce EMI
with copper cables and DC-balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS
algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables
or low cost short cables.
2.3 Digital Panel Connector (DVI-I)
The VGA card provides a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) connector
which allows you to connect an LCD monitor. The DVI connector
provides a high-speed digital interconnection between the computer
and its display device. To connect a LCD monitor, simply plug your
monitor cable into the DVI connector on the VGA card, and make
sure that the other end of the cable is properly connected to your
monitor. (refer to your monitor manual for more information)
LCD Monitor
1
2417
8
C 4 Analog Horizontal Sync
C 5 Analog Ground (analog
R, G & B return
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
DVI-I Connector
Signal Assignment
T.M.D.S.* Data2-
T.M.D.S. Data2+
T.M.D.S. Data2/4 Shield
T.M.D.S. Data4-
T.M.D.S. Data4+
DDC Clock
DDC Data
N/C
T.M.D.S. Data1-
T.M.D.S. Data1+
T.M.D.S. Data1/3 Shield
T.M.D.S. Data3-
Pin
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Signal Assignment
T.M.D.S. Data3+
+5V
GND (for +5V)
Hot Plug Detect
T.M.D.S. Data0-
T.M.D.S. Data0+
T.M.D.S. Data0/5 Shield
T.M.D.S. Data5-
T.M.D.S. Data5+
T.M.D.S. Clock Shield
T.M.D.S. Clock+
T.M.D.S. Clock-
C 1 Analog Red
C 2 Analog Green
C 3 Analog Blue