GIGABYTE GV-N450OC2-1GI Owner's Manual

GV-N450OC -1GI GV-N450OC2 -1GI

NVIDIA® GeForceTM GTS 450 Graphics Accelerator

User's Manual

Rev. 102 12MM-N450OGI-102R

© 2010 GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., L TD Copyright by GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. ("GBT"). No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed, written permission of GBT.

Trademarks

Third-party brands and names are the properties of their respective owners.

Notice

Please do not remove any labels on this graphics card. Doing so may void the warranty of this card. Due to rapid change in technology, some of the specifications might be out of date before publication of this this manual. The author assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions that may appear in this document nor does the author make a commitment to update the information contained herein.

Rovi Product Notice:

This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Rovi Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Rovi Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.

September.10, 2010

GV-N450OC2-1GI

VGA Card

September.10, 2010

GV-N450OC2-1GI

VGA Card

August. 30, 2010

GV-N450OC-1GI

VGA Card

August. 30, 2010

GV-N450OC-1GI

VGA Card

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 4

1.1. Features ......................................................................................................................... 4

1.2. Minimum System Requirements .................................................................................... 4

2. Hardware Installation.................................................................................................. 5

2.1. Board Layout ................................................................................................................. 5

2.2. Hardware Installation......................................................................................................8

3. Software Installation.................................................................................................. 10

3.1. Driver and Utility Installation......................................................................................... 10

3.1.1. Driver Installation............................................................................................

3.2. Display Properties Pages ........................................................................................ 1 2

3.3. Accessing NVIDIA Control Panel............................................................................ 13

4. Troubleshooting Tips................................................................................................ 21

5. Appendix ................................................................................................................. 22

5.1. How to Reflash the BIOS in MS-DOS Mode.............................................................. 22

5.2. Resolutions and Color Depth Table (In Windows XP) ................................................... 23

5.3. Regulatory Statements ................................................................................................. 25

- 4 -

1. Introduction

1.1. Features

• Powered by NVIDIA® GeForceTM GTS 450 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

• Supports PCI Express 2.0

• Integrated with 1GB GDDR5 memory

• Supports DirectX

• Supports NVIDIA

• Supports 2 Dual-Link DVI-I connectors

• Supports 1 mini HDMI connector

• Supports HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) technology

1.2. Minimum System Requirements

• Hardware

- 400-watt system power supply specification or above is recommended

- Intel

- 1GB system memory (2GB recommended)

- Optical drive for software installation (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive)

SLI

(Scalable Link Interface) technology

(Note 1)

Pentium® 4 or AMD AthlonTM XP class processor or higher

• Operating System

- Windows

• SLI

Configuration

Vista

If you are planning on using this graphics card as part of an SLI system, the following are required:

- An SLI certified motherboard with two PCIe x16 slots and correct chipset driver

- Two GV -N450OC-1GI/GV -N450OC2-1GI for SLI configuration;

- A power supply with 600-watt or above is recommended

- An SLI bridge connector

(Note 1) SLI technology requires a PCI Express motherboard with two x16 physical connectors.

Graphics cards working in an SLI configuration must be with the same model name (e.g. GV-N450OC2-1GI) and from the same vendor (e.g. GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY).

- 5 - Introduction

2.1. Board Layout

SLI Connector

Mini HDMI Connector

DVI-I Connector 1

DVI-I Connector 2

2. Hardware Installation

Power Connectors

HDMI TV

Digital LCD Monitor

DVI Output

mini HDMI to HDMI adapter(optional)

Mini HDMI Connector

DVI-I Connector 1

DVI-I Connector 2

- 6 -GV-N400 Series Graphics Accelerator

Expansion cards contain very delicate Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To protect them against damage from static electricity, you should follow some precautions whenever you work on your computer.

1. Turn off your computer and unplug power supply.

2. Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer components. If you do not have one, touch both of your hands to a safely grounded object or to a metal object, such as the power supply case.

3. Place components on a grounded antistatic pad or on the bag that came with the components whenever the components are separated from the system.

The card contains sensitive electric components, which can be easily damaged by static electricity, so the card should be left in its original packing until it is installed. Unpacking and installation should be done on a grounded anti-static mat. The operator should be wearing an anti-static wristband, grounded at the same point as the anti-static mat. Inspect the card carton for obvious damage. Shipping and handling may cause damage to your card. Be sure there are no shipping and handling damages on the card before proceeding.

DO NOT APPLY POWER TO YOUR SYSTEM IF THE GRAPHICS CARD IS DAMAGED.

In order to ensure that your graphics card can work correctly, please use official GIGABYTE BIOS only. Using non-official GIGABYTE BIOS might

cause problem(s) on the graphics card.

- 7 - Hardware Installation

2.2. Hardware Installation

Now that you have prepared your computer, you are ready to install your graphics card. Step 1.

Locate the PCI Express x16 slot. If necessary, remove the metal cover from this slot; then align your graphics card with the PCI Express x16 slot, and press it in firmly until the card is fully seated.

Make sure that the gold edge connector of the graphics card is securely inserted.

Step 2. Replace the screw to fasten the card in place, and replace the computer cover.

Step 3. This graphics card provides two DVI-I digital connectors and one mini HDMI connector. You can connect a monitor that supports DVI-I function. To connect a HDMI monitor,you need a cable or adapter to connect from the mini-HDMI connector to a HDMI monitor.

T o HDMI Monitor

To Flat Panel Display

Connect a flat panel

Connect a HDMI monitor

- 8 -GV-N400 Series Graphics Accelerator

+ 18 hidden pages