Rosewill G03-ATI9000 User Manual

RADEON

User’s Manual

SERIES



G03-ATI9000

Rev: 2.0

Copyright © 2002, ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
ATI and all ATI product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks

of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features, performance and specifications are
subject to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in the diagrams.

Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form, without the express written
permission of ATI Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited.

Table of contents

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

Features AT A Glance...............................................................................................1

ATI’s CATALYST Software Suite........................................................................... 1

Multiple Displays and 3D Gaming Experience ....................................................1

Direct 3D and OpenGL......................................................................................... 1

HydraVision.......................................................................................................... 2

Installing Your RADEON...................................................................................3

Connecting Your monitor(s) ..................................................................................5

Display Configuration...........................................................................................6

Installing Your RADEON Soft Driver............................................................... 7

Windows “New Hardware Found” .......................................................................8

Installing the ATI Driver for Windows 98, Windows ME ...................................8

Installing the ATI Driver for Windows 2000/XP/NT4.0......................................8

Multiple Display Support : Windows 98, Windows ME...................................... 9

Catalyst Software Suit ............................................................................................11

ATI Display Tab.................................................................................................... 11

ATI Color Tab....................................................................................................... 13

ATI Options Tab ...................................................................................................14

ATI Overlay Tab................................................................................................... 1

Direct 3D Control Panel .........................................................................................17

Main and Custom Setting...................................................................................... 17

Direct 3D Compatibility Setting ...........................................................................18

OpenGL Control Panel........................................................................................... 19

Main and Custom Setting...................................................................................... 20

OpenGL Compatibility Setting .............................................................................20

SMARTGART......................................................................................................... 21

Using TV Out........................................................................................................... 22

View your PC’s display on a TV ..........................................................................22

Connecting to a TV or VCR..................................................................................22

How to Enabled/Disabled The TV Display...........................................................23

Using and Adjusting TV Out ................................................................................23

How TV Display Connect Be Used ......................................................................23

Reducing Edge Distortion..................................................................................... 24

Using HydraVision for Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/NT4.0 .............................. 25

Desktop Management Controls............................................................................. 26

Hot Keys Controls................................................................................................. 28

MultiDesk..............................................................................................................29

Troubleshooting Tips..............................................................................................30

i

Introduction

The RADEON Series graphic accelerators delivers ground breaking 3D graphics
performance.

Designed and built by ATI Technologies Inc.



Powered by the RADEON Series Visual Processing Unit (VPU).



Awesome 3D gaming performance.



Support for OpenGL



Support for Direct 3D



High resolution in 3D up to 2048x1536.



Best performance for today’s and tomorrow’s applications.



Supports TV-out to connect your PC to your TV or VCR.



Features At A Glance

The RADEON Series provides high performance acceleration for today's demanding 3D
graphic applications. Its main features are:

VIDEO IMMERSION™ II which provides industry-leading DVD playback and digital



TV decode capability
CHARISMA ENGINE™ II which is the main GPU, providing the necessary power to



accelerate today’s 3D games and applications
SMARTSHADER™ technology which can realistically create the visual properties of any



material, like glass, metal, wood, and produce 3D depth by rendering the object’s shadows
SMOOTHVISION™ which provides users with various degrees of jagged edge removal



from 3D images, allowing users to configure their own high quality or high performance
gaming experience
PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II which provides even greater 3D rendering power



TV output support



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, for the ultimate 3D gaming experience. For
help on installing the Catalyst Software Suite, refer to the
The Catalyst Software Suite installs the ATI display tabs. These tabs are accessed through
the Windows

Settings

.

Suite

Direct 3D

®

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
these settings for the ultimate experience in 3D image quality or 3D gaming performance.
ATI’s Direct 3D
Control Panel, through the
For a detailed explanation of the Direct 3D

Control Panel on page 17

Display

®

tab. For a detailed explanation of each ATI tab, refer to

and OpenGL

applications.

®

applications.

®

Getting Started Guide

Control Panel, through the

Advanced...

button located on the

Catalyst™ Software

®

or OpenGL® features. Gamers can finetune

®

and OpenGL® tabs are available through the Windows

®

Advanced...

, and

OpenGL® Control Panel on page 19

button located on the

and OpenGL® tabs, refer to

®

Settings

tab.

.

.

® Display

Direct 3D®

1

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 page 25.

Preparing Your Computer

READ ME FIRST !

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.

NOTE:

Before installing your RADEON™ we recommend that you first uninstall the driver
for your current video card and reconfigure your operating system to use the
standard display driver (VGA) supplied with your operating system. For more
information about changing to the VGA driver, see your operating system
documentation.

2

Installing Your RADEON™

Now that you have prepared your computer, you are ready to install your RADEON™
graphics accelerator card.

To install your graphics accelerator card

1.

Power off the computer and monitor

, then

disconnect the display cable

the back of your computer.

2.

Remove the computer cove

r. If necessary, consult your computer’s manual for

help in removing the cover.

Remember to
discharge your
body’s static
electricity by
touching the metal
surface of the
computer chassis.

3.

If you intend to run multiple displays with Windows 98 or Windows Me (see

page 9), then proceed to step 4.

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

Or,

on-board graphics capabilit

Otherwise, remove any existing graphics card

y, you may need to

disable it

from

on

3

the motherboard. For more information, see your computer documentation.

4.

Locate the AGP slot. If necessary, remove the metal cover from this slot; then

align your RADEON™ with the AGP slot, and press it in firmly until the card
is fully seated.

Grasp the
RADEON™ by the
top edge and
carefully seat it into
the AGP slot.
Ensure that the
metal contacts are

Completely

pushed into the
slot.

5.

Replace the screw to fasten the card in place,

RADEON CARD

and replace the computer cover.

RADEON CARD

6.

Plug the display cable into your card

; then turn on the computer and monitor. If
your RADEON™ came with a DVI connector, you can connect a flat panel
display to the appropriate connector, as shown below.

Make sure all
cables are securely
connected.

You are now ready to proceed with the installation of the ATI driver. For detailed
instructions, select your operating system from the list on page 7 to 9.

4

Connecting your monitor(s)

The RADEON Series, depending on the graphic card configuration, provides hardware
support for one VGA monitor and one flat panel monitor, or two VGA monitors using a DVI­I-to-VGA adapter*, or only one VGA monitor. It also provides TV Output via a S-Video out
connector.

Plug the monitor cable into your card (

cables to the appropriate connectors),
To connect a flat panel
monitor to the DVI-I connector, plug a DVI-I-to-VGA adapter* into the DVI-I connector,
then plug your monitor cable into the adapter*, as shown below.

directly

to your card, use the DVI-I connector. To connect a VGA

if you are running multiple monitors, connect their

then turn on the PC and monitor(s)

.

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

Secondary

.

Primary

. Any

5

Display Configurations

The following table lists the different ways you can connect displays to your RADEON
Series with multi-monitor configuration
The following table lists the different ways you can connect displays to your RADEON
Series with

Display Configuration Connector(s) Used Comments

One CRT display VGA connector OR DVI-I

Connector with DIV-I-to-VGA

adapter
One DFP display DVI-I connector DFP–digital flat panel display
One TV TV Output Cards with S-Video out also

CRT display + TV VGA connector + TV Output Unsupported configuration if

DFP display + TV DVI-I connector + TV Output
CRT display +
DFP display
CRT display +
CRT display

CRT display +
DFP display +
TV
CRT display +
CRT+ TV

VGA connector + DVI-I

connector

VGA connector + DVI-I

connector with DVI-I-to-VGA

adapter

VGA connector + DVI-I

connector + S-Video out

UNSUPPORT

CONFIGURATION

CRT-cathode ray tube analog
Display

support Composite out via a
S-Video-to-Composite
adapter. Cards with
Composite out DO NOT
support connection to TVs
with S-Video input

the CRT display is attached to
the DVI-I connector via a
DVI-I-to-VGA adapter

The DVI-I connector can
support a CRT display using
the DVI-to-VGA adapter
The TV display will “clone”
the image of one of the other
two displays

6

Installing Your RADEON Soft Driver

New hardware will be detected after you restart your computer. To finish below steps
click

1.

Insert your CD,

when prompted to restart.

Yes

3D Graphics Series Driver CD

, into CD-ROM drive.

2. It auto run menu,

3D GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR

, as below picture:

3.

Click

VGA DRIVER

4.

If you can’t success install it automatically , please conduct page 8 to 9.

, and ATi Driver are shown and it will auto installation.

7

Windows “New Hardware Found”

To identify new hardware in Windows 98 or Windows



Me

1. Windows

®

98 or Windows® Me may launch the “Update Device Driver Wizard”
to install the Standard VGA Driver. If it does, follow the step-by-step instructions
below to allow Windows

If the Wizard does not appear, proceed directly to

Windows® 98, Windows® Me

2. Click

Click

3.

4. Insert your Windows

5. Click

Type the following:

6.

t.

Nex
Finish

.

OK

.

®

to correctly identify your new hardware.

Installing the ATI Driver for

.

®

98 or Windows® Me CD into your CD-ROM drive.

D:\WIN98 or D:\WINME

(If D is not your CD-ROM drive, substitute D with the correct drive letter.)

7. Click

Click

8.

You are now ready to install the ATI driver. Proceed to

Windows® 98, Windows® Me

.

OK

to restart your computer.

Yes

Installing the ATI Driver for

, and follow the step-by-step instructions to complete

the installation.

Installing the ATI Driver for Windows 98, Windows Me

With Windows® 98 or Windows® Me running on your computer, you need to
install the ATI driver to take advantage of the higher performance, resolutions,
and special graphic features of the RADEON™.
To ensure you install the latest driver, use the ATI Installation CD that shipped
with your RADEON™.

8

To install the ATI driver for Windows 98 or Windows Me

1. Insert the ATI INSTALLATION CD into your CD-ROM drive.

If Windows

2. Click

Select

3.

4. Type the following:

D:\ATISETUP

(If D is not your CD-ROM drive, substitute D with the correct drive letter.)

5. Click

Click on

6.

7. Click

8. Click

9. Follow the Wizard’s on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

The Express installation option is recommended. If your RADEON™ includes a
multimedia component, the software for that component will automatically be
installed, along with the ATI driver, by selecting this option.



runs the CD automatically, proceed to step 6.

.

Start

.

Run

.

OK

ATI Easy Install

t.

Nex

.

Yes

to begin the Installation Wiza rd.

Installing the ATI Driver for Windows 2000/XP/NT4.0

With Windows 2000/XP/NT4.0 running on your computer, you need to install the
ATI driver to take advantage of the higher performance, resolutions, and special
graphic features of the RADEON™.
To ensure you install the latest driver, use the ATI Installation CD that shipped with
your RADEON™.

To install the ATI driver for Windows 2000/XP/NT4.0

Insert the ATI INSTALLATION CD into your CD-ROM drive.

1.

If Windows

2. Click

3. Select

Type the following:

4.

D:\ATISETUP

(If D is not your CD-ROM drive, substitute D with the correct drive letter.)

5. Click

6. Click on

Follow the Wizard’s on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

7.

The Express installation option is recommended. If your RADEON™ includes a
multimedia component, the software for that component will automatically be
installed, along with the ATI driver, by selecting this option.



runs the CD automatically, proceed to step 6.

.

Start

.

Run

K.

O

ATI Easy Install

to begin the Installation Wiza rd.

9

Multiple Display Support: Windows 98, Windows Me

Windows 98 and Windows Me support the simultaneous use of more than one
display device. You simply install a sep arate PCI card for each addition al display you
intend to use. With multiple displays, you can extend your desktop, run different
programs on separate displays, even play some newer games with multiple views.
Each display can have a different resolution and color depth!

Note that, under Windows
designated by the system as the
designated by the system as a
only available on the



98 and Windows Me, one graphics card is automatically

card. Each additional graphics card is

card. Certain 3D and multimedia features are

primary

card is the one that

secondary

primary

primary

graphics card. The
displays the POST (Power On Self Test) information during startup. If you are
installing a PCI graphics card, you need to consider the following:

• If you install both a PCI and an AGP graphics card in the same system, your

motherboard BIOS may assign the RADEON™ AGP card as the

secondary

card.
If this happens, some manufacturers offer an upgrad ed BIOS that allows an AGP
card to be reassigned as the

primary

card. Contact your system vendor for further

details.

10

Catalyst™ Software Suite

The following section provides an explanation of each ATI tab available after installing the
Catalyst™ Software Suite.

ATI Displays Tab

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

Features presented in the following pages may not be supported in all operating systems and/or may appear
differently.

Primary

and

Secondary

displays.

Enabling/Disabling Secondary Displays

Access the Windows

1

Click on the

2

Click on the

3

Click the enable/disable button for the display device you want to enable/disable.

4

Click

5

OK

Settings
ATI Displays

or

Apply

Control Panel

®

tab and then the

tab.

to save the changes.

. Double-click

Advanced...

Display

button.

.

Enabling Extended Desktop Mode

Access the Windows

1

Click on the

2

Click the monitor icon for the display onto which you want to extend your desktop.

3

Click

4
5

Yes

Checkmark the

Settings

to enable the selected display.

Control Panel

®

tab.

Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor

may automatically place it there).

Click

6

OK

or

Apply

to save the changes.

. Double-click

Display

.

check box (Windows

Dynamic Display Reassignment

You can change the assignment of your

Primary

rebooting. However, before you can change the assignment of the
one

Secondary

display must be enabled, and Extended Desktop mode must be enabled.

and

Secondary

display on the fly, without

Primary

display, at least

To enable a Secondary display, refer to the section Enabling/Disabling Secondary Displays.
To enable Extended Desktop Mode, refer to the section Enabling Extended Desktop Mode.

Access the Windows

1

Click on the

2

Settings

® Control Panel

tab and then the

. Double-click

Advanced...

Display

button.

.

®

11

Click on the

3

In Windows® XP, Windows® Me

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,
you can click the Primary display’s button or you can click the button of the other display
device.

In Windows

® 2000

Clicking on the button will reassign the Primary and Secondary monitors.
Clicking on the button creates a clone or mirror image of the Primary display onto the
Secondary display. Clicking on the button extends your desktop to a Secondary display
located to the right of the Primary display. Clicking on the button extends your desktop to a
Secondary display located below the Primary display.

Click

4

OK

or

Apply

to save the changes.

Virtually Repositioning Your Displays

On the

1

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 below.

Click

2

OK

or

Apply

to save the changes.

Ratiometric Expansion

Your RADEON Series offers ratiometric expansion (or digital panel scaling as it is commonly
known). This expands a low resolution image to fill a higher resolution panel. However,
ratiometric expansion is only available on the

Primary

display. Therefore, if a flat panel
display (FPD) is set as Secondary, the Extended Desktop mode is disabled and the resolution
is less than the FPD’s native resolution. This causes the FPD to default to center mode.

12

ATI Color Tab

The ATI Color tab is used to adjust the color settings. You can change the red, green and blue
display colors. Desktop brightness and Game Gamma (brightness) can also be changed.

ATI Color Tab

Desktop Brightness

This increases or decreases the brightness of your desktop. The higher the gamma value, the higher
the brightness of your display.

Color Curve

This adjusts the selected color (red, green or blue check button) by moving the color curve with your
mouse.

Game Gamma button

This accesses Game Gamma Properties.

Defaults button

This allows you to reset the desktop brightness and color settings to default values.
Clicking the

Game Gamma

button accesses the Game Gamma Properties.

Game Gamma Properties

Red Green Blue sliders

These controls allow you to increase or decrease the color brightness of Direct 3D® and OpenG L®
games played in full screen mode.

RGB Lock

Uncheck this to adjust the RGB sliders individually. Check this to adjust all three sliders at the same
time.

Defaults button

This allows you to reset the Game Gamma settings to default values.

13

ATI Options Tab

The ATI Options tab provides detailed driver information and access to the card’s
specifications. You can also enable or disable the ATI taskbar icon.

ATI Options Tab

Version Information

Provides the Catalyst version number, 2D version number and the driver build information.

Details button

Provides access to the Details tab which lists the card’s hardware details and driver information.

Reactivate all warning messages

This allows you to reactivate any disabled graphics warning messages.

Enable ATI taskbar icon application

Unchecking this allows you to disable the ATI taskbar applications and removes the ATI icon
from your system tray.

Clicking the

Details

button provides access to the Details tab.

ATI Overlay Tab

The ATI Overlay tab allows you to configure the brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and
gamma properties of your video overlay.

Video Overlay

Video overlay allows for the viewing of full-motion video on your PC. However, there is only
one video overlay, which is only available on the

Primary

controls are automatically activated during playback of any video file type that
supports overlay adjustments.

display. The video overlay

14

Show ATI icon on taskbar

Unchecking this allows you to remove the ATI icon from your system tray without disabling the ATI
icon applications.

Disable quick resolution feature

Quick resolution feature is accessible by left clicking the ATI icon in the system tray. Checking
this option disables the feature.

Reduce DVI frequency on high resolution

Resolves display corruption or no image at high resolutions (for example 1280x1024 @75Hz) using a
digital DVI display. (This setting has no effect when using a DVI-to- VGA adapter)

Alternate DVI operational mode

Use this option if you are experiencing display corruption on your DVI flat panel.

ATI Overlay Tab Brightness

Use this slider to adjust the brightness of the video image.

Contrast

Use this slider to adjust the contrast in the video image.

Saturation

Use this slider to adjust the vividness of the color. Sliding it all the way to the left removes all color and
produces a black and white picture.

Hue

Use this slider to adjust the pureness or tint of the red, green and blue components of the color.

Gamma

Use this slider to adjust the overall intensity of the video image.

Clone mode options

Click this button to access

Clone Mode

when viewed in dual-controller Clone mode.

Defaults button

This allows you to reset the Overlay settings to default values.

overlay settings. These settings only apply to video content

15

Clone Mode Settings

Clone Mode Options Standard

Video content is displayed on your Primary display only.

Theater Mode

Video content is displayed on your Primary and Secondary displays. Video content is displayed on
your Secondary display(s) is always in full screen mode.

Note: your computer must be set for 16-bit color depth or higher to use this mode

Same on all

Video content is displayed on your Primary and Secondary display is exactly the same manner.
For example, all displays will show video output in full screen mode.

Theater Mode Settings
These settings are available when Theater Mode is selected.
Same as source video

The aspect rati o of t he s our c e vi de o is ma i ntained for full screen display. Note: that this option may
result in black bars on either the horizontal or vertical sides of the video display.

Full Screen Video

The source video is scaled so that your display is showing full screen. Note: if the source video
contains hori zontal black bars, as do some DV D movies, the f ull screen vi deo will also co ntain black
bars.

4:3 (Standard TV)

Select this option if the aspect ratio of the display device showing full screen video has the standard
4:3 aspect ratio (standard TVs and monitors).

16:9 (Widescreen)

Select this option if the aspect ratio of the display device is showing full screen video has a 16:9
aspect rat io (widescreen HDTVs).

.

16

Direct 3D® Control Panel

Using this tab, gamers can fine-tune the settings for Direct 3D® games.

Main and Custom Settings

In the

Main Settings

or you can enhance overall image quality by moving the slider to the right.

you can maximize overall performance by moving the slider to the left,

Main Settings slider

This allows you t o emph asiz e what k ind of appli cat ion exp erienc e you’ d lik e to have . Mov ing the s li der
to the left will maximize application performance, while moving the slider to the right will provide
excellent 3D image quality. Moving this slider from one position to the next changes the individual
Custom Settings sliders found below.

Custom Settings checkbox

When Custom Settings is checked, the Ma in Settings sli der is disabled, al lowing you to move eac h
individual slider in the Custom Settings section below. Setting the individual sliders gives you complete
control over your applicat ion experien ce. Usin g Custom S ettings is recom mended for ad vanced us ers
only.

SMOOTH VISION Anti-Aliasing

SmoothVision Anti-Aliasing improves image quality by removing jagged edges from 3D images,
resulting in smoother, more natural-looking objects. Selecting
high quality images, with negligible reduction in the application’s performance.

SMOOTH VISION slider

SmoothVision Anti-Aliasing can be applied using different sample patterns and sample points such as
2X, 4X, or 6X. Moving this slider to the right increases sampling to provide the most realistic 3D image.

SMOOTH VISION Anisotropic Filtering checkbox

Anisotropic filtering uses a texture filtering technique that blends multiple texture samples together.
Selecting
application’s performance.

SMOOTH VISION Anisotropic Filtering slider

The number of sampl es tak en when anis ot ro pic f il t eri ng i s p erf or m ed c an v ary . By mo vi ng th is s l id er t o
the right, as the number of samples taken increases, the quality of the final image increases
significantly. 16X provides extremely detailed, crisp-looking images as a result of the largest number of
texture samples possible.

Application Preference

will result in high quality textures, with a negligible reduction in the

Application Preference

will result in

17

Texture Preference slider

Selecting this decides whether your application should use high quality or high performance textures.
Moving the slider to the right delivers the highest quality experience. Moving the slider to the left
emphasizes a high performance solution while still providing good visuals.

Mipmap Detail Level slider

This will allow you to choose the texture quality of the mipmaps the application will use. Mipmaps are a
collection of different sized textures of the same image. As the user moves closer to a 3D object the
image quality should increase, requiring a higher quality texture of the same image. The base mipmap
is the highest quality texture, and all subsequent mipmaps are smaller sized textures of the same
image. Moving t he sli der t o th e righ t s elec ts a h igher quali ty base m ipm ap. Mov ing t he s lid er t o the lef t
selects a lower quality mipmap.

Wait for Vertical Sync

Wait for vertical sync will lower the frame rate of full screen games but reduce the image tearing that
can occur with the higher frame rate. Selecting

Application Preference

allows the application to
decide whether or not it should display its frames at the refresh rate of the monitor. Selecting Always
Off allows the application to run at its highest possible frame rate, regardless of the monitor’s refresh
rate which is typically less than the frame rate at which the application will run.

TRUFORM

Truform uses High Order Surface geometry to generate more detailed and realistic terrain and
character models for applications that support this technology. Select Application Preference to
enable Truform. Select

Always Off

to disable Truform.

Compatibility Settings button

This button allows you to access advanced settings that can solve compatibility issues for a few
specific Direct 3D® applications.

Defaults

This button allows you to reset the Direct 3D® settings to default values.

Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings

Support DXT texture formats

Enabling this allows applications to use this kind of texture format. There are a few applications that
can only support a limited number of texture formats. By selecting Disabled, the driver will not support
DXT texture formats, thus reducing the number of texture formats supported.

Alternate pixel center

This may eliminate problems with some Direct 3D® games which display vertical and horizontal lines
around textures, or text that appears incorrect. However, this setting should only be used if you are
experiencing the symptoms mentioned, as it may cause problems with other games.

Defaults button

This button allows you to reset the Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings to default values.

18

OpenGL® Control Panel

Using this tab, gamers can fine-tune the settings for OpenGL® games.

Main and Custom Settings

In the

Main Settings

or you can enhance overall image quality by moving the slider to the right.

you can maximize overall performance by moving the slider to the left,

Main Settings slider

This allows you t o emph asiz e what k ind of appli cat ion exp erienc e you’ d lik e to have . Mov ing the s li der
to the left will maximize application performance, while moving the slider to the right will provide
excellent 3D image quality. Moving this slider from one position to the next changes the individual
Custom Settings sliders found below.

Custom Settings checkbox

When Custom Settings is checked, the Ma in Settings sli der is disabled, al lowing you to move eac h
individual slider in the Custom Settings section below. Setting the individual sliders gives you complete
control over your applicat ion experien ce. Usin g Custom S ettings is recom mended for ad vanced us ers
only.

SMOOTH VISION Anisotropic Filtering checkbox

Anisotropic filtering uses a texture filtering technique that blends multiple texture samples together.
Selecting
application’s performance.

SMOOTH VISION Anisotropic Filtering slider

The number of sampl es tak en when anis ot ro pic f il t eri ng i s p erf or m ed c an v ary . By mo vi ng th is s l id er t o
the right, as the number of samples taken increases, the quality of the final image increases
significantly.16X provides extremely detailed, crisp-looking images as a result of the largest number of
texture samples possible.

SMOOTH VISION checkbox

SmoothVision (Anti-Aliasing) improves image quality by removing jagged edges from 3D images,
resulting in smoother, more natural looking objects.

SMOOTH VISION slider

SmoothVision (Anti-Aliasing) can be applied using different sample patterns and sample points such
as 2X, 4X, or 6X. Moving this slider to the right increases sampling to provide the most realistic 3D
image.

Texture Preference slider

Selecting this decides whether your application should use high quality or high performance textures.
Moving the slider to the right delivers the highest quality experience. Moving the slider to the left
emphasizes a high performance solution while still providing good visuals.

Application Preference

will result in high quality textures, with a negligible reduction in the

19

Mipmap Detail Level slider

This will allow you to choose the texture quality of the mipmaps the application will use. Mipmaps are a
collection of different sized textures of the same image. As the user moves closer to a 3D object the
image quality should increase, requiring a higher quality texture of the same image. The base mipmap
is the highest quality texture, and all subsequent mipmaps are smaller sized textures of the same
image. Moving t he sli der t o th e righ t s elec ts a h igher quali ty base m ipm ap. Mov ing t he s lid er t o the lef t
selects a lower quality mipmap.

Wait for Vertical Sync

Wait for vertical sync will lower the frame rate of full screen games but reduce the image tearing that
can occur with the higher frame rate. Selecting

Application Preference

allows the application to
decide whether or not it should display its frames at the refresh rate of the monitor. Selecting Always
Off allows the application to run at its highest possible frame rate, regardless of the monitor’s refresh
rate which is typically less than the frame rate at which the application will run.

TRUFORM

Truform uses High Order Surface geometry to generate more detailed and realistic terrain and
character models for applications that support this technology. Select

Application Preference

to

enable Truform. Select Always Off to disable Truform.

Compatibility Settings button

This button allows you to access advanced settings that can solve compatibility issues for a few
specific OpenGL® applications.

Defaults

This button allows you to reset the OpenGL® settings to default values.

OpenGL® Compatibility Settings

Force Z-buffer depth

This allows you to explicitly set the Z-Buffer depth. Most applications will work best when Disabled is
selected

Alpha dithering method

When applicat ions use both dit heri ng and alpha blend ing, v is ual art ifa ct s can oc cur. T his op ti on al lows
you to select how the application should handle both features at the same time. In most cases Error

Diffusion

will handle this situation quite well, but there are a few cases where selecting

Ordered

may

be necessary

Support KTX buffer region extension

Enabling this feature allows rapid updates of those portions of your screen that have changed. Note
that most applications will not be affected by activating this feature

Defaults button

This button allows you to reset the OpenGL® Compatibility Settings to default values.

20

SMARTGART™

SMARTGART is a suite of testing and diagnostics tools that perform a variety of bus tests to
determine the optimal settings for your ATI graphics accelerator installed in your computer.
SMARTGART automatically configures your graphics device to the optimal settings.
SMARTGART
It simply instructs the ATI CATALYST driver not to use a specific AGP function if that
specific AGP function hasn’t passed the SMARTGART diagnostics test.

Set AGP Settings

Experienced users can manually change the AGP speed. You will need to reboot your
computer for this change to take effect. The possible AGP speed is dependent on the
motherboard chipset and design. Your computer’s available AGP speeds are shown in the
SMARTGART dialog.

Fast Write

Fast Write allows the CPU to transfer data directly to the graphics accelerator. By default, this
feature is set to ON providing your motherboard’s chipset supports Fast Writes. Some
motherboard specifications may claim chipset support for Fast Writes but may not be
compatible with many different graphics accelerators. Changing the AGP settings could result
in system instability

This setting is disabled for many computers because the motherboard is not capable of
supporting this feature.

Retest All

Click this button to retest all graphic bus capabilities. All tests and diagnostics are initiated
immediately following a system restart.

Any settings that have previously been set to Off will be turned on, providing the test passes.

Problems can arise if the user enables a secondary graphics accelerator (in a multiple monitor environment) after
the operating system has loaded. The problem exists because the secondary graphics card is enabled after the
SMARTGART diagnostic test have been run. To ensure system stability you should restart the computer after the
secondary graphics accelerator is enabled so that both graphics accelerators can be tested with SMARTGART.

does not

actually disable any AGP functionality in your computer’s hardware.

.

Using TV Out

21

View your PC’s display on a TV

Your RADEON Series has TV Out capability. You can attach your card to a TV and monitor
at the same time. Or you can connect it to your VCR and record your monitor’s display. TV
display is ideal for playing games, giving presentations, watching movies, and browsing the
Internet. The following tips will help you get the most out of your TV Out feature.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION for European Customers

Some PC monitors in Europe cannot be used simultaneously with TV display. When you enable TV
display in Europe, the refresh rate for the monitor and TV is set to 50Hz. Some monitors may not
support this refr esh rat e and cou ld be d amaged. • Pl ease c heck the docum entat ion s upplied with y our
monitor to see if your monitor supports a refresh rate of 50Hz.

If your monitor does not support 50 Hz (or if you are not sure), then turn off your monitor
before turning on your PC when using your TV as a display.

For information on disabling TV display, see
Some TVs in Europe may use a SCART connection. If you use SCART, please read Using SCART

Connectors for European TVs on page 22 before att empting t o connect your PC to y our European

TV.

How To Enable/Disable The TV Display on page 23.

Connecting to a TV or a VCR

To connect your RADEON Series to a TV or a VCR, use the available TV Output connector.
Your card will support either a S-video connector or a Composite connector. If your TV has
cable input only, you can connect your card to your TV through your VCR or an RF
modulator (available in most electronics stores). The RADEON Series with the Composite
out connector DOES NOT support connection to TVs with S-Video In.

Output to a TV or VCR

Turn off your PC and your TV (or VCR).

1

Determine if your TV (or VCR) has a S-Video In or Composite In connection.

2

The TV Output on your RADEON Series will be either a S-Video connector

3

connector. Attach an appropriate cable to the TV Output on your card (S-Video or
Composite*). Attach the other end of the cable to your TV (or VCR). Refer to the
illustration for further help.

Turn on your PC and your TV (or VCR).

4

Starting Windows

The TV screen may become scrambled during the initial Windows

with TV Display Enabled

®

®

a temporary effect and your screen will be restored within a few seconds. During start up,
your RADEON Series will go through a sequence of mode settings, during which your TV
display will remain blank. This process takes only a few seconds and helps program the TV
display.

Using SCART Connectors for European TVs

The above illustration shows how to connect your PC to a European TV using the SCART.
The SCART connector supports only the Composite video format, which means you will
have to use a S-Video-to-Composite video adapter cable if your RADEON Series supports
the S-Video connector. If your European TV has S-Video In, you can use a S-Video cable*
( also available in most consumer electronic stores) rather than the SCART connector if your
RADEON Series supports the S-Video connector.

How To Enable/Disable The TV Display

Connecting Your TV

Composite

or

logo display. This is only

22

Access the Windows

1

Click on the

2

Click on the

3

Click the enable/disable button.

4

Click

5

OK

Settings
ATI Displays

or

Apply

® Control Panel

tab and then the

to save the changes.

tab. Click on the

. Double-click

Advanced...

button.

TV

Display

button.

.

Using and Adjusting TV Out

For information about how to use TV display, right click the
then point to

ATI Television Display

.

ATI taskbar icon

, point to

Help

,

How TV Display Cannot Be Used

A TV cannot be left connected to the RADEON Series if two analog monitors are connected,
even if the TV is off and not enabled in the software. An analog monitor connected to the
DVI-I connector cannot be left connected to your RADEON Series when TV out is enabled.
In both cases, your graphics card will become overloaded, resulting in a dim image on all
devices.

Using a Monitor vs. Using the TV Display

Using your TV for your PC’s display is ideal for playing games, giving presentations,
watching movies, and browsing the Internet. However, the display on your monitor may
change or looked squashed. This occurs because the display adjusts to fit the dimensions of
your TV. To correct the monitor’s display, use the monitor’s control buttons to adjust its
display size and position. Some single frequency monitors may not work with TV display
enabled. If you experience problems when TV display is enabled, disable TV display to
restore your monitor’s display.

Adjusting Monitor Display

The size of the display on your monitor may be smaller and not perfectly centered when you
have TV display enabled. These effects are caused by the changes required to provide a
proper display on the TV. Use the controls available on the

Properties

page (accessible by clicking on the

Monitor

adjust the display on your monitor only. Click on the

button on the

button to adjust the TV display only.

TV

Adjustments

tab on the

Monitor

ATI Displays

tab) to

Viewing Text on a TV

A TV is designed primarily to show moving, rather than static, images. The large dot pitch of
a TV (which is fine for moving video) will yield poor quality static images such as text. The
small text sizes commonly used for PC desktops can appear blurred or unclear on a TV. You
can compensate for this by using larger fonts.

To Use Larger Display Fonts

Access the Windows

1

For Windows® XP, click the

2

click the

In the

3

Click

4

Settings

Font Size

Apply

. If prompted, click

® Control Panel

tab, the

box, select the size you want your displayed fonts to be.

Advanced...

. Doubleclick

Appearance

button, then the

to restart your PC.

Yes

Display

.

tab. For Windows® Me and Windows® 2000,

General

tab.

Reducing Edge Distortion

23

When using a TV for your PC’s display, you may see some edge distortion on the left and
right side of your TV screen. This effect depends on your TV and the PC application you are
running. To reduce edge distortion, you can increase the TV display’s horizontal size.

To Increase the Horizontal Size

Access the Windows

1

Click on the

2

Click on the

3

Click on the

4

Click the

5

In the

6

Settings
ATI Displays
TV

Adjustments

Screen Size

Control Panel

®

tab and then the

tab.

button.

tab.

section, click on the plus (+) button beside the horizontal arrowheads to

. Double-click

Advanced...

Display

button.

.

increase the horizontal size of the TV display.

7

Click

OK

or

Apply

to save the changes you have made. You can also reduce edge

distortion by increasing the TV’s contrast.

To Increase the TV Contrast

Access the Windows

1

Click on the

2

Click on the

3

Click on the

4

Drag the

5

Click

6

OK

Settings
ATI Displays
TV

Contrast

or

Apply

® Control Panel

tab and then the

tab.

button.

slider to the right to increase the contrast.

to save the changes you have made.

. Double-click

Advanced...

Display

button.

.

Changing Display Configurations

If you move your PC to a place where you are using TV display only, make sure that you
have the TV display feature enabled. You can set your display resolution as high as 1024x768.
However, higher resolutions will result in a virtual desktop. If a TV is your only display
device and a higher mode is selected, the display on your TV will disappear.

Using Older Games and Applications

Some older games and applications may program your RADEON Series directly, to run
under a specific display mode. This may cause your TV display to turn off automatically or
become scrambled (the PC monitor will not be affected). Your TV display will be restored
once you exit the game or if you restart your PC.

Using HydraVision™ for Windows® 98SE / ME/2000/XP/NT4.0

24

HydraVision™ software is specifically designed for use with Windows ® 98SE/ME/2000/XP/NT4.0 and
installation enables the Desktop Manager and creates a Windows ® program group for HydraVision™
display management software.

HydraVision™ and the Desktop Manager are activated whenever Windows ® starts. Installing
HydraVision™ adds menu options to the ATI Icon.

Click on the ATI icon to access the application’s features and help, or to unload the HydraVision™
Desktop Manager.

The HydraVision™ Desktop Manager allows you to modify your display options. You can access the
Desktop Management and Hot Keys dialog boxes by clicking on the appropriate tab in the
Desktop Manager.

Along the bottom of each HydraVision™ dialog are four buttons:
OK, Cancel, Apply and Help.

implements the changes you’ve made in the HydraVision™ d i alog and exits the Desktop Manager.

OK

Changes take effect immediately unless you see a message prompting you to restart your compute r.
Cancel discards all changes made to any section of the HydraVision™ dialog and closes the Desktop

Manager.
Apply implements your changes without closing the Desktop Ma nager.

connects t o local or online H TML-based help. You can also ge t context-s ensitive on-screen help

Help
by moving your mouse over the relevant text for each control.

Accessing HydraVision™ Desktop Manager

Desktop Management Controls

25

g

The Desktop Management Dialog

The Desktop Management dialog lets you determine the behavior of pop-up windows and dialog
boxes in a multiple monitor environment.

Dialog control:
Enable dialog repositioning—Toggles dialog control on and off. When it is checked, you can choos e

to have dialog boxes appear on the parent application’s monitor. (The parent application is the
application that generated the dialog box.) If the parent application or associated monitor cannot be
located, the dialog box defaults to monitor 1. You can also choose to have dialog boxes appear on the
monitor in which the cursor is located or to always appear on a specific monitor in the array.

Window control:

Single monitor windows—When this box is checked, windows are sized no larger than a

single monitor. Windows that are placed on monitor splits are automatically relocated to the
monitor on which mo st of the window appe ars.
HydraVision™ Max/Restore button management—Allows you to control the behavior of the
Windows® Maximize button. When HydraVision™ is running, a HydraVision™ Max/Restore
button appears in the upper right corner of your application title bars. Clicking this icon makes
the active window maximize in one of two ways:

Max to window corners causes windows to maximize to the monitor(s) that contain the
window’s upper left and lower right corners.

Max to full deskto p causes windows to maximize to the entire monitor array.

Max child windows—Keeps windows generated by parent applications from splitting across monitors.

(A child window is a window residing within a parent application window.) The ability to keep child
windows on a single monitor when maximized is extremely useful for editing multiple documents side
by side in a parent application.

：The HydraVision™ application title bar icon changes from a single square to two smaller

Note

squares when a window is in a HydraVision™ maximized state. Clicking the icon again restores
the active window to its default state as a s in

le square.

General:

26

p

p

p

Application position memory—Check this box to “remember” the size and location of application
windows when they are closed and reapply those settings when the application is reopened.

Automatically align monitors—Under Windows
monitor placement from t he
checked, HydraVision™ will override user-defined monitor placement if the monitors are not evenly
aligned.

：This control will work only if all monitors are running at the same resolution and your

Note

deskto

MultiDesk Settings

disable and name active desktops.
Load/Unload Desktop Manager—This button restores or removes the HydraVision™ Desktop

Manager tracking program. You should only select this option if you do not want to use any multiple
monitor dialo g box controls and window controls or hot keys.

Note：MultiDesk will not reload automatically when Windows ® restarts. You will need to reload

MultiDesk from the Deskto

Load/Unlo a d M ultiDesk—This button restores or removes multiple desktop functionality.

Note：MultiDesk will not reload automatically when Windows ® restarts. You will need to reload
MultiDesk from the Deskto

Individual Application Settings

management settings for individual applications. You can access these settings by clicking on the
down arrow of the HydraVision™ icon in the application title bar or by clicking the Individual

Application Settings button in the Desktop Management dialog.

Note：These settings override the global settings defined in the Desktop Management dialog.

is configured as a rectangle (monitors side-by-side).

Remove HydraVision™titlebar buttons—This box removes or restores the buttons placed on
the title bar in installed applications.

Remove MultiDes k system tray icon—This box removes or restores the MultiDesk system
tray icon.

—This button gives access to all the MultiDesk Properties. Here you can enable,

Settings

Manager.

Manager dialog box.

dialog in the

—This butto n al l ows y ou to s pecify, enable an d di s ab l e de s ktop

® 98SE and Windows ® Me, you can manually define

Display Properties

dialog box. When this box is

Hot Keys Controls

27

pp

HydraVision™ allows you to specify hot
key shortcuts for common operations
such as starting applications, s napping
applications to designated monitors,
and changing display resolution.

NOTE: Hot Keys only work if
HydraVision HydraVision™ is installed
and loaded.

The Hot Keys Dialog

Create/Remove Hot Keys

To create custom hot key sequences, select a

Modifier key

key function you want this key combination to perform. Click Add to enter your new combination in
the Assigned hot keys list box. Click Apply to activate assigned hot keys.

：ATI recommends that a modifier key be used with any function key (F1, F2, etc.)

Note

assigned as a hot key. This will prevent interference with the function of these keys in indi vidual
a

lications.

To delete a hot key from the

Assigned hot keys

list box, highlight it, click

Apply.

You can also disable all hot keys listed in the

Assigned hot keys

keys box near the bottom of the Hot Keys dialog.

(Shift, Alt, etc.), a

Remov

list box by checking the

Hot key

, and the

e, and then click

Disable hot

Hot

Using Hot Keys

You can use any assigned hot key at any time, from within any application, to change your display.
Provided hot key functions include:

Snap App to Monitor Allows you to move or “snap” active windows or dialogs from

monitor to monit o r fo r quick placement and viewing of

desktop contents.
HydraVision™ Pop-up Menu Allows on-the-fly access to HydraVision™ controls.
Run Application Lets you start any application with a hot key.
Gather All Windows to Monitor 1 Allows you to find applications that are hidden or are open

and lost on disabled monitors.
Find Cursor Locates the cursor on a busy or crowded desktop
Next Desktop Accesses other active desktops
Zoom Display In/Out Causes the desktop resolution to increase or decrease.
Zoom In/Out on Monitor Causes the resolution of the active monitor to increase or

decrease.

MultiDesk

28

y

p

HydraVision™ software supports multiple desktops. With MultiDesk, one active desktop will always be
visible, while up to eight active desktops can reside in the background. Whe n MultiDesk is running, the
MultiDesk icon in the system tray displays the number assigned to the current desktop.

Note：MultiDesk is installed with HydraVision™. However, multiple desktop support and

draVision™ can be loaded/unloaded and operated independently of each other.

H

Right-click on this icon to access MultiDesk
controls. In addition to accessing active
desktops from the system tray, you can also
access active desktops with a

Hot key

shortcut.

MultiDesk System Tray Icon

NOTE:

Hot Keys only work if HydraVision™ is

installed and loaded.

MultiDesk Pop-Up Menu

To switch to another define d desktop, select the ap propriate desk top number from the pop-up menu.
To enable, disable and name active desktops, select

MultiDesk Properties

from the pop-u p menu. To

arrange applications within active desktops, or to enable specific applications on all desktops, select

Arrange MultiDesk

from the

pop-up menu.
MultiDesk Properties allows you to control the desktops. Right-click a Desktop tab to set it Active,

Inactive, or Disabled. Inactive desktops MAY contain applications; however, they are temporarily
disabled. Disabled desktops cannot contain any applications. If an Active or Inactive desktop that
contain applications is disabled, the application will be automatically mo ved to an Active desktop.

You can also give a desktop a unique name. Double-click the desired desktop tab. The tab will turn
gray and a blinking cursor will appear. Simply type in the new name. When you have renamed the
desktop click on the tab to save the change.

Keep on all desks allows you to have a selected application visible on all desktops.
The MultiDesk functionality can be removed by selecting Unload HydraVision™ MultiDesk from the

pop-up menu of the ATI Icon or the Desktop Manager.

：MultiDesk will not reload automatically when Windows

Note

MultiDesk from the Deskto

Troubleshooting Tips

Manager.

restarts. You will need to reload

®

29

The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems. Contact your
dealer or ATI for more advanced troubleshooting information.

• Check that the card is seated properly in the AGP slot.

• Ensure the display cable is securely fastened to the card’s display connector.

• Make sure that the monitor and computer are plugged in and receiving power.

• If necessary, disable any built-in graphics capabilities on your motherboard.
For more information, consult your computer’s manual or manufacturer.
(NOTE: Some manufacturers do not allow the built-in graphics to be disabled or to
become the secondary display.)

• Make sure you selected the appropriate display device and graphics card when you
installed the ATI driver.

• For more troubleshooting tips, right-click the ATI icon in the taskbar and select
Troubleshooting.

• If you have problems during bootup, start your computer in Safe Mode. In
Windows
Microsoft



98 or Windows Me, press and hold the CTRL key until the



Windows Startup Menu appears on the screen. Then select the

number for Safe Mode, and press Enter. (You can also use F8 to bring up the
Microsoft Windows



Startup Menu.) In Safe Mode, bring up the Device

Manager and check for duplicate display adapter and monitor entries if you are

only using one graphics card.

• For more assistance, use the Troubleshooting Guide located in the Windows



Help or contact your computer manufacturer.

ATI is a registered trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States and/or other countries. Windows is a
registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and/or registered
trademarks are the properties of their respective owner s.

30