ATI FIRE GL 8700 User Manual

Fire GL 8700

User's Guide

Version 1.0 P/N 137-50003-10 Rev. A

Products may not be exactly as shown. Features, performance, and specifications may vary depending on operating environment and are subject to change without notice. Trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated, which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. ATI is a registered trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States and/or other countries. Fire GL is a trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries. MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, DirectDraw and Direct3D are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Pentium is a registered trademark and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) is a trademark of the Intel Corporation. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. AutoCAD, AutoShade, 3D Studio and HEIDI are registered trademarks or trademarks of AutoDesk Inc.

Disclaimer

The manufacturer (MFR) reserves the right to make changes to this document and the products which it describes without notice. The MFR shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions made herein; not for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

The MFR makes no representation that the interconnection of products in the manner described herein will not infringe on existing or future patent rights, nor do the descriptions contained herein imply the granting of license to make, use or sell equipment constructed in accordance with this description.

Documentation Updates

ATI is constantly improving its product and the associated documentation. To maximize the value of your ATI product you should ensure that you have the most up-to-date documentation. ATI’s documentation contains helpful installation/configuration tips and other valuable product feature information. To access the latest documentation for your product visit http://www.ati.com/online/docupdate.

Getting Started.......................................................................1

Using this Guide ...................................................................................................... 2

Viewing the User's Guide Online...................................................................... 3

Do you Need a Printout of the Online User' s Guide? ....................................... 3

Fire GL 8700 Features ............................................................................................. 4

System Requirements and Tools.............................................................................. 5

Quick Installation..................................................................................................... 6

Installation Steps............................................................................................... 6

Installing the Hardware and Software..................................7

Installing the Hardware............................................................................................ 7

Preparing your Computer.................................................................................. 7

Installing the Card........................................................................................... 12

Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation................................. 16

Installing the Software........................................................................................... 19

Before you Start: Information, Tips, and Hints............................................... 20

Software Installation for Windows NT4.0 ...................................................... 21

Software Installation for Windows 2000 and Windows XP ........................... 23

Using Your Fire GL 8700 .....................................................25

Changing the Video Settings.................................................................................. 26

How to Switch to the Display Properties? ...................................................... 26

Setting Resolution, Color Depth and Refresh Rate......................................... 26

Setting a DualScreen Configuration................................................................ 28

Select ing your Monitor ................................................................................... 31

Adjusting the Monitor Display ....................................................................... 34

Configuring Application Profiles........................................................................... 37

How to switch to the Configuration dialog? ................................................... 37

Activating a configuration profile:.................................................................. 37

HYDRAVI SI ON f or F i re GL

iii

Reference .............................................................................40

Removing the Fire GL 8700 Drivers...................................................................... 40

Troubleshooti ng ..................................................................................................... 42

Technical Details ................................................................................................... 45

Features and Performance............................................................................... 45

Pin Assignments ............................................................................................. 47

Video Modes................................................................................................... 49

Compliance Information........................................................................................ 51

CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

The FIRE GL™ 8700 is an entry-level workstation 3D and 2D graphics accelerator. The card is ideal for complex MCAD and digital contents creation applications.

The FIRE GL™ 8700 features include:

• OpenGL® double-buffer overlay support

• Full suport for DirectX® 8.1

• Dual monitor support

• Pre-configuration to maximize the performance of most

popular operating systems and CPUs

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using this Guide on page 2

Fire GL 8700 Features on page 4

System Requirements and Tools

on page 5

Quick Installation on page 6

2 Getting Started

Using this Guide

For your convenience, this online User’s Guide has been formatted as an Adobe you great flexibility when using this documentation.

Many hyperlinks provide easy access to any information you may want. To make it useful in a printed format, too, a hyperlinked - table of contents and page numbers are provided.

Because it was designed to be used online and printed, some of the images may not print clearly or appear very clearly on screen.

The organization of this Guide is as follows:

Installing the Hardware and Software on page 7 provides

instructions for installing your Fire GL 8700 card and software and connecting video output devices to your card.

Using Your Fire GL 8700 on page 25 explains how you can

take advantage of the advanced software utilities of your Fire GL 8700.

Reference on page 40 provides troubleshooting tips and

regulatory compliance information for your card.

Acrobat® PDF file. This format gives

HYDRAVISION for Fire GL provides information on

installing and using ATI management utility to control multiple display desktops.

HYDRAVISION™, a desktop

Viewing the User's Guide Online

You can also read the User's Guide online—important hypertext links, such as Table of Contents entries, World Wide Web, and email addresses are active.

Place your mouse cursor over Table of Contents entries or main headings. If the hand icon changes to a pointing index finger, simply click and you will move to that place in the document. Some email or World Wide Web addresses inside this manual may be active as well. Go directly to a Web, FTP site, or email program simply by clicking on an active link. Displaying the provided bookmark and thumbnail views may help you with the orientation and navigation in the User's Guide.

This manual might be displayed with slightly-reduced magnification in your Reader. If you experience any difficulty reading certain files online, use the Reader’s Zoom To feature from the View menu and increase the magnification to about 150%. To view some screenshot images perfectly clear you may need a larger magnification.

Getting Started 3

Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's Guide?

You can easily print this User's Guide to access it off-line. The manual then will look like any standard document with a table of contents and page numbers.

For printing the User’s Guide, a print resolution of 600 dpi -or higher - is recommended.

4 Getting Started

Fire GL 8700 Features

• RADEON™ 8800LE GPU and 64 MB DDR memory

• CHARISMA ENGINE™ II supports Transformation,

Clipping and Lighting (T&L)

• PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II, the 3D rendering engine, ensures fast fill rates in 32-bit true color resolution

• Full DirectX 8.1 support

• High resolutions up to 2048 x 1536, 32-bit

• DDC1/2b/2b+ monitor support on all operating system

platforms

• Dual monitor resolutions up to 2x 1600x1200, 32-bit

• Monitor support:

- Dual screen Analog + Digital

- Single screen Analog

- Single screen DVI (Digital)

• Optimized OpenGL® software drivers for advanced workstation performance

• Increased productivity in a stable 3D model environment

• Customize and tune applications to meet your specific

requirements using the display profile utilities

For more detailed information on features and

Note:

performance please refer to the section Technical

Details on page 45.

Getting Started 5

System Requirements and Tools

Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD®

•

K6/Athlon® or compatible

128 MB of system memory

Computer system

Operating system

Service Pack Information for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000

•

256 MB for best performance

Motherboard with free AGP 2x/4x slot

•

CD-ROM drive

•

Windows® NT 4.0 with Service

•

Pack 5 (or higher),

Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1

•

(or higher)

Windows® XP

•

You must be running Windows NT 4.0, updated with Service Pack 5 (or higher) prior to installing the Fire GL 8700 drivers. For some languages you can perform the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack update from the Fire GL CD when you run the Quick Start utility. You must be running Windows 2000, updated with Service Pack 1 (or higher) prior to installing the Fire GL 8700 drivers. The Service Packs are available from Microsoft's web page, www.microsoft.com.

A screwdriver to remove and reinstall

•

the PC cover screws and card

Tools

Monitor

mounting screws. See your PC manual for specific requirements.

Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL 8700

•

High-resolution MultiSync or multi-

•

frequency monitors or other VGA monitors.

Digital flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD

•

displays and digital CRT displays

6 Getting Started

Quick Installation

• Brief instructions on how to get to work with the Fire GL 8700 in the shortest possible time.

• Recommended for experienced users and system administrators only.

• For more detailed information on installation and operation of your graphics accelerator, please refer to the corresponding sections of the Fire GL 8700 User’s Guide.

Installation Steps

1 Un-install the drivers and software for your old graphics

card.

2 Set the display driver to Standard VGA (only for

Windows NT 4.0). Disable any on-board graphics solution on the motherboard.

3 Shut down and disconnect your computer system.

4 Remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card.

5 Install the new Fire GL 8700 card.

6 Reassemble and connect your computer system.

7 Install the Fire GL 8700 drivers and configuration software

from the Fire GL CD:

• automatic Quick Start utility or

• Start > Run > X:\START EXE

where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive

CHAPTER 2

Installing the Hardware and Software

IN THIS CHAPTER

Installing the Hardware on page 7

Installing the Software on page 19

Installing the Hardware

The hardware installation includes the following steps:

• Preparing your Computer

• Installing the Card

• Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation

Preparing your Computer

Turn off the power to your system and discharge your

body’s static electric charge by touching a grounded surface—for example, the metal surface of the power supply—before performing any hardware procedure.

The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damage, caused directly or indirectly, by improper installation of any components by unauthorized service personnel. If you do not feel comfortable performing the installation, consult a qualified computer technician.

Damage to system components, the accelerator card, and injury to yourself may result if power is applied during installation.

8 Installing the Hardware and Software

Information Before you Start

What do you need to use your Fire GL 8700?

System Requirements and Tools

Motherboard with free

•

AGP 2X/4X slot.

128 MB of system memory

•

256 MB for best performance

System interrupt (IRQ) which is

•

free. This may have to be reserved in the computer’s BIOS. For help with this subject, refer to the manual for your mainboard

Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM;

•

AMD® K6/Athlon® or compatible

Supported operating system

•

- Windows® NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 (or higher)

- Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1 (or higher)

- Windows® XP

A screwdriver to remove and

•

reinstall the PC cover screws and card mounting screws. See your PC manual for specific requirements.

Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL

•

8700

Installing the Hardware and Software 9

What type of monitors do you need?

Where are the drivers?

Your Fire GL 8700 is optimally configured to be combined with digital flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD displays and digital CRT displays. You can also connect the Fire GL 8700 to highresolution MultiSync or multi-frequency monitors or other VGA monitors.

Notes: (1) You need a Plug-and-Play monitor that supports VESA’s Display Channel specifications (DDC1 or DDC2) to take advantage of the DDC1/DDC2b+ features (2) You can use the full power of the graphics card only if your monitor supports the horizontal (kHz) and vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required by the graphics card. Refer to your monitor's documentation for recommended refresh rates

Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000

•

and Windows XP drivers are provided on the Fire GL CD.

10 Installing the Hardware and Software

Are you planning a multi-monitor system?

Are you installing your Fire GL 8700 in place of a card from another manufacturer?

Do you have an integrated graphics solution on the motherboard?

Plug-n-Play? The card has been designed to take

The illustrations do not show your card?

You may connect two monitors

•

to the Fire GL 8700.

If DDC support is available, the

•

respective resolution and refresh rate for each monitor is automatically detected.

Desktop Management utilities

•

HYDRAVISION DualScreen

Before you install your Fire GL 8700 card, we recommend that you first uninstall the the driver for your current graphics card.

Windows NT 4.0: Reconfigure your operating system to use the standard display driver (VGA). For more information about changing to the VGA driver, see your operating system documentation.

Please refer to the manual or contact your motherboard manufacturer to determine how to disable your onboard graphics.

advantage of 'plug–n-play' without requiring additional hardware installation or configuration.

The illustrations provided in this section are for instructional use only; the card shown may look different than the one you purchased.

Installing the Hardware and Software 11

Setting the Display Driver to Standard VGA

To avoid possible driver conflicts between your old and new graphics card, install the standard VGA driver for your operating system. Install the standard VGA driver before you shut down your computer and remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card. Note: Installing the standard VGA driver is not required for Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Installing the Standard VGA Driver for Windows NT 4.0

1 From the Start menu, go to Start > Settings > Control

Panel, then double-click on Display. The Display Properties sheet appears.

2 Click the Settings tab; then click the Display Type

button.

3 Under Adapter Type, click the Change button. The

Change Display window appears.

4 Under Manufacturers, select (Standard display types).

Under Display, choose VGA compatible display adapter.

5 Click OK. You may need to insert your Windows NT 4.0

CD-ROM.

6 Click Close and OK as often as necessary to accept the

changes.

7 Windows asks you if you want to restart your computer.

Click No.

8 Shut down your computer. You are now ready to remove

your old graphics card and install your new Fire GL 8700 card.

12 Installing the Hardware and Software

Installing the Card

To install your graphics accelerator card, follow these steps:

Switch off your computer and all external options (monitor, printer, and others).

of your computer. Unplug all power cables from the electrical source.

Note:

If you are disconnecting a peripheral from the computer or are removing a component from the system board, wait 10 - 20 seconds after disconnecting the computer from the electrical outlet before disconnecting the peripheral or removing the component to avoid possible damage to the system board. To verify that all power has been removed from the system, make sure that the standby power light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has gone out

Then disconnect all cables from the back

Installing the Hardware and Software 13

Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your computer system manual about removing the cover.

1 Power Supply

Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the

metal surface of the computer chassis

Remove any existing graphics card from your computer

If the old graphics card sticks rock it gently from end to end. Remember to save the screw.

If your computer has any on-board graphics capability, you may need to disable it on the motherboard. Refer to your computer’s manual for more information.

14 Installing the Hardware and Software

Insert the card into the AGP slot. Note: You can use the Fire GL 8700 in either AGP 2x/4x or

AGP 2x slots.

• Locate the AGP 2x/4x slot. Compare the expansion slots in your computer with the following illustration:

• If necessary, remove the metal slot cover from the AGP slot. Save the screw to secure the graphics card later.

• Align the Fire GL 8700 with the AGP slot, and press it in firmly until fully seated.

1 Fire GL 8700 card 2 AGP expansion slot

AGP cards are designed to fit one way only. Be sure your card is properly aligned Grasp the card by the top edge and carefully seat it into the AGP slot. Be sure the metal contacts are completely pushed into the seat

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