ATI Technologies 9800XT - 100-505076 FireGL 256MB DDR SDRAM AGP 8x Graphics Card, RADEON 9800XT User Manual

RADEON

™

User’s Guide

P/N 137-40594-10

9800XT

Copyright © 2004, ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.

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ii

Table of Contents

Disclaimer.....................................................................................................ii

Product Notice........................................................................................ii

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Features At A Glance .................................................................................. 2

ATI’s CATALYST™ Software Suite ........................................................ 3

Multiple Displays and 3D Gaming Experience...................................... 3

Direct 3D and OpenGL .......................................................................... 3

HYDRAVISION™ ................................................................................ 4

Multiple Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Connecting Your Monitor(s) ...................................................................... 5

Display Configurations................................................................................ 6

CATALYST Software Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

ATI Displays Tab......................................................................................... 7

Enabling/Disabling Secondary Displays ................................................ 8

Enabling Extended Desktop Mode......................................................... 8

Dynamic Display Reassignment ............................................................ 8

Virtually Repositioning Your Displays.................................................. 9

Ratiometric Expansion ......................................................................... 10

ATI Color Tab ........................................................................................... 11

Color Hotkeys Settings......................................................................... 14

ATI Options Tab........................................................................................ 15

ATI Overlay Tab ....................................................................................... 17

Video Overlay ...................................................................................... 17

Clone Mode Settings ............................................................................ 19

3D® Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Direct 3D and OpenGL Settings............................................................... 20

SMARTSHADER EFFECTS ................................................................... 23

Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings .......................................................... 24

OpenGL® Compatibility Settings............................................................ 25

Using TV Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

View your PC’s display on a TV .............................................................. 27

Connecting to a TV or a VCR .................................................................. 28

Starting Windows® with TV Display Enabled .................................... 29

To Enable/Disable The TV Display.......................................................... 30

Using and Adjusting TV Out................................................................ 30

How TV Display Cannot Be Used ....................................................... 30

iii

Using a Monitor vs. Using the TV Display.......................................... 31

Reducing Edge Distortion ......................................................................... 33

Changing Display Configurations............................................................ 34

Using Games and Applications................................................................. 34

NTSC/PAL Support for RADEON 9800XT ........................................... 35

VPU Recover .............................................................................................. 36

OVERDRIVE™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

SMARTGART™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Set AGP Settings .................................................................................. 38

Fast Write ............................................................................................. 38

Retest All.............................................................................................. 39

iv

Introduction

The RADEON™ 9800XT graphics accelerator delivers
unsurpassed 3D graphics performance.

• Powered by the RADEON 9800XT Visual Processing
Unit (VPU).

• Third generation to support the latest Microsoft®
DirectX® 9.0 and OpenGL features.

• Cinematic experience with a new level of quality and
consistency.

• Third generation 8-pixel pipeline architecture.

• Supports for AGP 8X specification.

1

• 256-bit DDR memory interface.

• Support Direct 3D® and OpenGL® applications.

• High resolution in 3D up to 2048x1536.

• Flat panel support.

• Supports TV-Out to connect your PC to your TV or
VCR.

2

Features At A Glance

The RADEON 9800XT includes:

• CINEMATIC RENDERING:
With its highly programmable cinematic shader
engines, the RADEON 9800XT visual processors are
designed to bring the most detailed worlds to life with
motion picture effects.

• UNSURPASSED 3D PERFORMANCE:
Eight parallel rendering pipelines, 256-bit memory
interface, blazing fast clock speeds, and AGP 8X
support come together to deliver incredible
performance at the highest resolutions and detail
settings for the most demanding next generation 3D
titles, scenes and environments.

• Virtual Perfection:
Experience unparalleled 3D visual realism. Combining
SMOOTHVISION™ 2.1 and SMARTSHADER™

2.1, the RADEON 9800XT enables smooth, sharp,
hyper-realistic interactive imagery.

• QUALITY VIDEO PLAYBACK:
Revolutionary VIDEOSHADER™ and
FULLSTREAM™ technologies provide the cleanest
video playback available on a PC.

• FLEXIBLE DISPLAY CONFIGURATIONS:
Enhance your work environment with multiple
displays, TV-output support, and high resolutions.

3

ATI’s

CATALYST™

Software Suite

Multiple Displays and 3D Gaming Experience

ATI’s CATALYST Software Suite provides multiple
display functionality, and the advanced graphic features,
such as SMARTSHADER 2.1, for the ultimate 3D
gaming experience. For help installing the CATALYST
Software Suite, refer to the Getting Started Guide.

The CATALYST Software Suite installs the ATI display
tabs. These tabs are accessed through the Windows®
Display Control Panel, through the Advanced... button
located on the Settings tab. For a detailed explanation of
each ATI tab, refer to the sectionCATALYST Software

Suite on page 7.

Direct 3D and OpenGL

The CATALYST Software Suite also supports the latest
versions of Direct 3D and OpenGL. Many new 3D game
titles, and the latest versions of older titles, will virtually
come to life as they utilize their advanced Direct 3D or
OpenGL features. Gamers can fine-tune these settings
for the ultimate experience in 3D image quality or 3D
gaming performance.

ATI’s Direct 3D and OpenGL
the Windows® Display Control Panel, through the
Advanced... button located on the Settings tab.

For a detailed explanation of the Direct 3D and OpenGL
tabs, refer to 3D® Control Panel on page 20, and

OpenGL® Control Panel on page 29.

tabs are available through

4

HYDRAVISION™

In addition to the multiple display functionality available
with ATI’s CATALYST Software Suite, you can also
use HYDRAVISION for advanced multi-monitor
management. For more information on
HYDRAVISION, please refer to the HYDRAVISION
User’s Guide PDF located on your ATI Installation CD.

Multiple Displays

Connecting Your Monitor(s)

Your RADEON 9800XT provides hardware support for
one DVI-I monitor or two VGA monitors using the
supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter. A TV can also be used
to expand your desktop by using the S-Video out.

Plug the monitor cable into your card (if you are
running multiple monitors, connect their cables to the
appropriate connectors), then turn on the PC and
monitor(s).

5

To connect a flat panel directly to your card, use the
DVI-I connector. To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI­I connector, plug the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter
into the DVI-I connector, then plug your monitor cable
into the adapter, as shown below.

STANDARD VGA

MONITOR CONNECTOR

VGA

CONNECTOR

S-VIDEO OUT

DVI-I

CONNECTOR

FROM

MONITOR

When you use multiple monitors with your card, one
monitor will always be Primary. Any additional
monitor(s) will be designated as Secondary.

DVI-I-TO-VGA

ADAPTER

VGA

CONNECTOR

FROM

MONITOR

Display Configurations

Your RADEON 9800XT graphics accelerator card
provides dual display functionality and TV Out. The
following table lists the different ways you can connect
displays to your card.

6

Display
Configuration

One CRT
display

One DFP
display

One TV S-Video out

CRT display + TVVGA connector +

DFP display + TVDVI-I connector +

CRT display +
DFP display

Connector(s) Used Comments

VGA connector OR DVI­I connector with DVI-I­to-VGA adapter

DVI-I connector DFP - digital flat panel display

S-Video out

S-Video out

VGA connector + DVI-I
connector

CRT- cathode ray tube
analog display

The S-Video out can also
support a composite
connection via the S-Video­to-Composite adapter

Unsupported configuration if
the CRT display is attached
to the DVI-I connector via the
DVI-I-to-VGA adapter

CRT display +
CRT display

CRT display +
DFP display +
TV

CRT display +
CRT display +
TV

VGA connector + DVI-I
connector with DVI-I-to­VGA adapter

VGA connector + DVI-I
connector + S-Video out

UNSUPPORTED
CONFIGURATION

The DVI-I connector can
support a CRT display using
the DVI-I-to-VGA adapter

The TV display will “clone”
the image of one of the other
two displays.

CATALYST Software
Suite

The following section provides an explanation of each
ATI tab added to the Display Properties after installing
the Catalyst Software Suite.

Features presented in the following pages may

i

ATI Displays Tab

not be supported in all operating systems
and/or may appear differently.

7

The ATI Displays tab provides multiple monitor
features. Here you can enable/disable display devices
and swap the assignment of Primary and Secondary
displays.

Enabling/Disabling Secondary Displays

8

1 Access the Windows

Display.

®

Control Panel. Double-click

2 Click the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.
3 Click the ATI Displays tab.
4 Click the enable/disable button for the display

device you want to enable/disable.

5 Click OK or Apply to save the changes.

Enabling Extended Desktop Mode

1 Access the Windows

Display.

®

Control Panel. Double-click

2 Click the Settings tab.
3 Click the monitor icon for the display onto which you

want to extend your desktop.

4 Click Ye s to enable the selected display.
5 Checkmark the Extend my Windows desktop onto

this monitor check box (Windows® may automatically
place it there).

6 Click OK or Apply to save the changes.

Dynamic Display Reassignment

You can change the assignment of your Primary and
Secondary display on the fly, without rebooting.

However, before you can change the assignment of the
Primary display, at least one Secondary display must
be enabled, and Extended Desktop mode must be
enabled.

To enable a Secondary display see Enabling/Disabling

Secondary Displays on page 8.

To enable Extended Desktop Mode see Enabling

Extended Desktop Mode on page 8.

9

1 Access the Windows

Display.

®

Control Panel. Double-click

2 Click the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.
3 Click the ATI Displays tab.

The ATI Displays tab shows you the display(s) that are
active. The Primary display has the button depressed.
To change the display assignment, click the Primary
display’s button or click the button of the other
display device.

In Windows® 2000 clicking the button will reassign
the Primary and Secondary monitors. Clicking the
button creates a clone or mirror image of the Primary
display onto the Secondary display. Clicking the
button extends your desktop to a Secondary display
located to the right of the Primary display. Clicking the

button extends your desktop to a Secondary display

located below the Primary display.

4 Click OK or Apply to save the changes.

Virtually Repositioning Your Displays

1 On the Settings tab, click and drag the appropriate

monitor icon to the desired position. For example, the
secondary display can be dragged to the left of the
primary display, allowing it to be virtually on the left,
as shown.