AMD ATI Radeon HD 2900 Series User Manual
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AMD ATI Radeon HD 2900 Series User Manual

Amd ati radeon hd 2900 series graphics cards user’s guide
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ATI Radeon™
HD 2900 Series
User's Guide
P/N 137-41328-20

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  • Page 1 ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series User’s Guide P/N 137-41328-20...
  • Page 2 No license, whether express, implied, arising by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this publication. Except as set forth in AMD’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale, AMD assumes no liability whatsoever, and disclaims any express or implied warranty, relating to its products including, but not limited to, the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or infringement of any intellectual property right.
  • Page 3 Important Safety Instructions • Read Instructions—All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. • Retain Instructions—The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. • Heed Warnings—All warnings on the product and the operating instructions should be adhered to.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Introduction ....... 1 System Requirements Installing the Graphics Card ....3 Before You Begin Record the Serial and Part Numbers Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers...
  • Page 6 Reference ....... . 45 Troubleshooting Determine the System Card Bus Type Updating your AGP Motherboard/Chipset Drivers Reinstalling Drivers Product Registration...

  • Page 7: Introduction

    ATI Catalyst™ Control Center to access the comprehensive help system, generate a problem report, and get the software version information. System Requirements Hardware • AMD Athlon® or Intel® Pentium® 4 • 512MB of system memory; 1GB or more for best performance. • Optical drive for installation software (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive).

  • Page 9: Installing The Graphics Card

    Installing the Graphics Card This topic guides you through the installation of the graphics card. Before You Begin Before you begin installing the graphics card, do the following. • Record the Serial and Part Numbers on page 3. • Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers on page 4. When you have completed the above procedures, do the following: Install the Graphics Card on page 5.

  • Page 10: Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers

    Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers To ensure successful installation of the graphics card driver, uninstall the graphic drivers for the existing graphics card before removing the graphics card from the computer. Depending on the operating system, choose either the Windows® XP or Windows Vista™...

  • Page 11: Install The Graphics Card

    Install the Graphics Card Make sure the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices are off. Unplug the computer power cord and disconnect cables from the back of the computer. Caution! To avoid possible damage to the motherboard, wait approximately 20 seconds after unplugging the power cord before disconnecting a peripheral or removing a component from the motherboard.
  • Page 12 Connect the power connectors Locate the power connections on the graphics card as shown in the following illustration. Power connectors for the graphics card Legend 2×3-pin + 2×4-pin power connectors. 2×3-pin + 2×3-pin power connectors. Connect either two 2×3-pin PCIe™ power connectors, or one 2×3-pin and one 2×4-pin PCIe™...
  • Page 13 more information, see Force Full Performance in the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center. Note: The computer will beep, possibly show a warning message on your display, and the boot process will stop if the graphics card is not correctly connected to the power supply. Make sure the cables are not interfering with anything inside the computer (for example, a cooling fan) and then replace the computer cover.

  • Page 15: Installing And Configuring Displays

    Installing and Configuring Displays Connections The following illustrates the connections on the ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series graphics card. ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series Connections Legend DVI-I Dual Link connection S-Video connection (Video In/Video Out) DVI-I Dual Link connection (Provides audio and video digital signals.

  • Page 16: Supported Display Configurations

    ATI DVI to HDMI™ Adapter The HDMI™ adapter is a proprietary adapter manufactured and sold by AMD approved manufacturers (like Wieson Technologies Co., Ltd.) that has a specific detection mechanism to allow properly configured graphics cards to pass HDMI™ signals through a DVI connection to an HDMI™...

  • Page 17: Installing And Configuring Displays

    The following table shows display configurations available when CrossFire™ is not enabled. Display Connections Cathode ray • DVI-I connection and DVI-I-to-VGA adapter and VGA tube analog cable display LCD display • DVI-I connection and DVI cable • DVI-I connection and DVI-I-to-VGA adapter and VGA cable •...
  • Page 18 Configure the display Navigate to the Control Panel and choose Display , or right-click on the desktop and choose Properties . Choose the Settings tab and select the screen resolution and color depth that best suit your requirements and your display’s performance.

  • Page 19: Installing Software And Drivers

    Note: Not all software components are installed using the Express installation. Custom installation allows you to select individual software components for installation. Tip! If the installer fails to install the driver or you have a software conflict, you can download the latest software from ati.amd.com then install it.

  • Page 21: Ati Catalyst™ Control Center

    ATI Catalyst™ Control Center The ATI Catalyst™ Control Center is software that provides access to the display features of the graphics card. Use the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center to fine-tune your graphics settings, enable or disable connected display devices, and change the orientation of the desktop. Many features display previews of the changes before they are applied.

  • Page 22: Help

    Start ATI Catalyst™ Control Center Start ATI Catalyst™ Control Center from one of the following access points: Access Point Instructions Windows® 1. Right-click the Windows® desktop. Desktop ATI Catalyst® Control 2. Fom the short menu, select Center Windows® Start Start From the Windows®...

  • Page 23: Using Tv Display And Capture Features

    Using TV Display and Capture Features These topics describe how to use the TV display and video capture features of your graphics card. • Using a Monitor vs. Using TV Display on page 17. • Connecting to a TV, VCR, or HDTV on page 18. •...

  • Page 24: Connecting To A Tv, Vcr, Or Hdtv

    Viewing Text on a TV A TV is designed primarily to show moving images. The large dot pitch of a TV will yield poor quality static images. The small text sizes commonly used for PC desktops can appear blurred or unclear on a TV. You can compensate for this degradation by using larger fonts.
  • Page 25 Note: For maximum performance when watching DVD movies or playing computer games on the TV, find the mode and screen resolution that provide the best result, and use those settings exclusively. This topic includes the following procedures: • Connect to an HDMI™ HDTV (DVI-to-HDMI™) on page 19. •...
  • Page 26 HDMI™-to-HDMI™ connectors Legend Computer DVI connection on the graphics card DVI-to-HDMI™ adapter HDMI™-to-HDMI™ cable HDMI™ connection on the HDTV HDMI™ HDTV Connect the DVI-to-HDMI™ adapter to the DVI connection on the graphics card. Connect one end of the HDMI™-to-HDMI™ cable to the DVI-to- HDMI™...
  • Page 27 Configure the HDTV using the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center, Displays Manager and DTV(HDMI) . Connect to an HDTV (DVI-to-DVI) Before connecting an HDTV, attach a monitor to the computer and install the video drivers. Maker sure the computer and monitor are off. DVI-to-DVI connectors Legend DVI connection on the graphics card and the HDTV...
  • Page 28 Power on the monitor and HDTV, and then power on the computer. The HDTV will not display anything until Windows® starts. Configure the HDTV using the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center, Displays Manager and DTV(DVI). Connect to an HDTV or component video device (DVI-to-Component Video using ATI DVI-to-HDTV adapter) Before connecting an HDTV, attach a monitor to the computer and install the video drivers.
  • Page 29 Set the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP switches. Configure the DIP switches to set the appropriate display mode and aspect ratio. This sets the modes which appear when you select Show all Modes in the ATI Control Panel. a) Set the display mode Note: DIP switch 3 is always off (540p is not supported).
  • Page 30 Matching the colors on the connections, connect one end of the RCA patch cables to the ATI DVI-to-HDTV component video adapter. Connect the other end of the RCA patch cables to the component video connections on the HDTV. Connect one end of a sound cable to the computer sound card. Connect the other end of the cable to the sound input on the HDTV.
  • Page 31 S-Video to Component Video (using the ATI 9-Pin HDTV Output Cable) Legend Computer S-Video connection on the graphics card ATI 9-Pin HDTV output cable Male RCA patch cables (available from consumer electronics dealer, not to exceed 50 feet or 15 meters.) Component video connection on the HDTV HDTV (Set to YPbPr input.
  • Page 32 Power on the monitor and HDTV, and then power on the computer. The HDTV will not display anything until Windows® starts. Configure the HDTV using the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center, Displays Manager. Connect to a composite video device (S-Video-to-S-Video or Composite Video) Before connecting a composite video device, attach a monitor to the computer and install the video drivers.
  • Page 33 Connect the S-Video connector on the composite video cable to the S-Video connection on the graphics card. Connect the other end of the composite video cable to either the S-Video or composite video connection on the composite video device. Power on the monitor and composite video device, and then power on the computer.
  • Page 34 S-Video to SCART connectors Legend S-Video out connection on graphics card S-Video to composite adapter/cable Composite cable SCART adapter Audio mini-jack connection on sound card Left and right RCA audio connectors If the video device accepts PAL input, you must change the NTSC/ PAL setting on the video card to PAL.

  • Page 35: Capturing Video

    a) Disconnect the monitor cable from the graphics card. b) Remove the graphics card from the computer. c) Locate the orange switch on the back of the card. Switch Positions for NTSC and PAL d) Use a sharp pencil to move slider switch number 1 as shown in the preceding illustration.
  • Page 36 The audio and video output connectors on a TV, camcorder, or VCR will be similar to those depicted in the following illustration. Use composite video out or S-Video out; S-Video out provides better results. Video capture connections Legend Composite in and out connectors S-Video in and out connectors Graphics card Video in/video out cable...

  • Page 37: Connecting A Media Device For Video Capture

    Connecting a media device for video capture Use a video in/video out cable to connect the S-Video connection on the graphics card to the S-Video connection on a TV, VCR, or camcorder. Capture video to a computer Connect one end of the cable to the S-Video connection on the graphics card.

  • Page 38: Avivo™ Video Converter

    If the Line-In volume control is not visible, click Options , and then click Properties . Select the Line-In volume checkbox, and then click OK . If the Mute checkbox is selected, clear it to cancel muting. Display the Line Input settings (Windows Vista™) In the taskbar, right-click the Volume icon, which is usually in the lower-right corner of the desktop.
  • Page 39 Avivo™ Video Converter Formats To create Use this Format Generic MPEG-1 video files. Standard MPEG-1 MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats achieve very high compression rates and are portable to most computers. Generic MPEG-2 video files. Standard MPEG-2 MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats achieve very high compression rates and are portable to most computers.
  • Page 40 Click Go . The Avivo™ Video Converter Wizard opens. Follow the Avivo™ Video Converter wizard instructions. Note: The Start Over button returns the wizard to the Easy Setup Wizards page. Upload video to a video iPod® Start iTunes®. In the File menu, select Add File to Library . Navigate to the converted files and drag the converted files to iTunes®.
  • Page 41 Upload video to a Sony® PSP Connect a Sony® PSP to the computer using a USB connector. Switch on the Sony® PSP. Using the Sony® PSP system software, navigate to the top of the Settings list and select USB Connection . The system detects a new removable disk drive.

  • Page 43: Crossfire

    • A 750-watt power supply or better with two 2×3-pin and two 2×4-pin PCIe™ power connectors. For an up-to-date listing of CrossFire™ certified motherboards, see ati.amd.com/products/certification For an up-to-date listing of certified power supplies, see: ati.amd.com/CertifiedPSU Install CrossFire™ Graphics Cards The following set of instructions assumes that one ATI Radeon™...
  • Page 44 ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series CrossFire™ configuration Make sure the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices are off. Unplug the computer power cord and then disconnect cables from the back of the computer. Caution! To avoid possible damage to the motherboard, wait approximately 20 seconds after unplugging the power cord before disconnecting a peripheral or removing a component from the motherboard.
  • Page 45 Warning! Some graphics cards can get hot while operating. Wait about five minutes after turning off the computer before touching the card. If the CrossFire™ graphics card has a removable fan cover, remove the fan cover from the CrossFire™ graphics card that will back onto the other graphics card.
  • Page 46 Connect the power connectors Locate the power connections on the graphics card as shown in the following illustration. Power connectors for the graphics card Legend 2×3-pin + 2×4-pin power connectors. Required for ATI Overdrive and CrossFire™. 2×3-pin + 2×3-pin power connectors. Connect either two 2×3-pin PCIe™...
  • Page 47 Caution! For optimal performance, and for ATI Overdrive, Overclock, and CrossFire™ configurations, for each CrossFire™ graphics card use one 2×3-pin and one 2×4-pin PCIe™ power connector on a 750 watt or better power supply. For more information, see Force Full Performance in the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center.

  • Page 48: Enabling Crossfire

    Connect the monitor to the ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series graphics card in the primary PCIe™ slot. Power on the monitor and then the computer. Enabling CrossFire™ To take full advantage of running dual graphics cards, enable and configure CrossFire™ in the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center. Start ATI Catalyst™...
  • Page 49 Enable ATI Catalyst™ A.I. to automatically select the preferred rendering mode for target applications. For applications that are not identified in ATI Catalyst™ A.I., or when ATI Catalyst™ A.I. is disabled, default CrossFire™ rendering modes are used. Alternatively, you can enable the Super Anti-aliasing mode in ATI Catalyst™...

  • Page 51: Reference

    Troubleshooting The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems. For more help, contact customer care at or your PC ati.amd.com/support manufacturer. General Troubleshooting Problem Possible solution Computer does •...
  • Page 52 General Troubleshooting Problem Possible solution Screen defects • Check if the monitor supports the resolution, horizontal appear (kHz) and vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required by the graphics card. • Check the current resolution, refresh rate, and color depth settings in the Settings and Monitor tabs in the Display Properties dialog.
  • Page 53 CrossFire™-Specific Troubleshooting Problem Possible solution CrossFire™ is In order for CrossFire™ to function, the CrossFire™ not functioning bridge interconnects must correctly connect the CrossFire™ graphics cards. 1. Connect one end of the CrossFire™ bridge interconnect to the internal VMO connection on one of the cards.

  • Page 54: Determine The System Card Bus Type

    HDTV/HDTV Adapter Troubleshooting Problem Possible solution The colors on my • Ensure that the connections between the Component TV display are Video Adapter and your HDTV are correct (Y=Green, incorrect Pb=Blue, Pr=Red). There is no • Your TV will not display anything until Windows® display on my TV starts;...

  • Page 55: Updating Your Agp Motherboard/Chipset Drivers

    AGP and PCIe™ graphics cards and system bus connectors Legend AGP card and AGP expansion slot PCIe™ card and PCIe™ expansion slot If you have AGP connectors and the graphics card is not working correctly, you may need to update the motherboard and chipset drivers for the computer.
  • Page 56 Often you will see the name of a motherboard chipset in connection with these terms. For example: • ALi GART Driver • AMD AGP Miniport • Intel VGART • VIA AGP Driver Obtain AGP drivers for your motherboard/chipset If you experience problems with the AGP chipset drivers, you may need a software update from the motherboard or chipset manufacturer.

  • Page 57: Reinstalling Drivers

    To determine the manufacturer, click the [AGP device name] > Driver > Driver Details Sample Motherboard/Chipset Manufacturers Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) www.amd.com VIA Technologies www.viaarena.com Acer Laboratories (ALI) www.ali.com.tw Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS) www.sis.com Intel Technologies support.intel.com General Motherboard/chipset www.motherboards.org...

  • Page 58: Product Registration

    Product Registration To activate your warranty and obtain product support through Customer Care, register your graphics card at: ati.amd.com/online/registration Customer Care If you require further assistance with your product, the following Customer Care options are available: Service Availability Language Access...

  • Page 59: Additional Accessories

    • Customer Care reserves the right to limit support options for products that are not registered or are at End of Life. Additional Accessories Additional and replacement cables, installation CD-ROMs, manuals, and other accessories for AMD products can be purchased from the online AMD store at: ati.amd.com/online/accessories...

  • Page 60: Compliance Information

    Compliance Information This section details the compliance information for this product. FCC Compliance Information This ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series product complies with FCC Rules part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions • This device may not cause harmful interference. •...
  • Page 61 CE Compliance Information EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendments 91/263/EEC, 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, Class B Digital Device EN 55022:2003/CISPR 22 Class B, Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics Information Technology Equipment. EN 55024:1998/CISPR 24:1997 +A1:2001 +A2:2003, Immunity of Information Technology Equipment (ITE), including EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5, EN 61000-4-6 Informations de conformité...

  • Page 63: Index

    DVI-to-HDTV causes of HDMI Dot pitch SCART Drivers Add/Remove Programs chipset reinstalling Airflow uninstall AMD Athlon DTV(HDMI) Anti-aliasing 1, 4, 47 ATI Catalyst Control Center 19, 46, 47 ATI Overdrive DVI-to-HDTV adapter ATISETUP utility Audio cables Enable CrossFire 13, 33...
  • Page 64 Safety instructions 4, 16, 53 Help Screen rotation High Definition Television Secondary PCIe slot (HDTV) Serial number 16, 42 16, 42 Hot key Shortcut HydraVision Software installation 32, 35 Sony PSP Industry Canada Compliance Super Anti-aliasing 10, 13, 43 Input and output adapters SurroundView 9-pin HDTV Output Cable S-Video...

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