TYAN Tachyon G9000 Series User Manual

i

Tachyon G9000 Series

Graphic Card

User’s Guide

Revision 1.0

Copyright Notice

The material in this document is the intellectual property of TYAN. While we take every care in the
preparation of this document, we cannot guarantee the correctness of all the content. Our
products undergo continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes without
notice.

Trademarks

All trademarks used in this manual are the property of their respective owners.
VGA is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks belong to respective owners.
All rights reserved.

ii

Important Safety Precautions

Always read and follow these basic safety precautions carefully when handling any piece of
electronic component.

1. Keep this User’s Guide for future reference.

2. Keep this equipment away from humidity.

3. Lay this equipment on a stable, flat surface before setting it up.

4. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection; hence they protect the equipment from
overheating.

5. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V before connecting
the equipment to the power inlet.

6. Place the power cord in a way that people are unlikely to step on it. Do not place anything on
the power cord.

7. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.

8. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.

9. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage the equipment or cause an
electrical shock.

10. If any of the following situations arise, get the equipment checked by a service personnel:

The power cord or plug is damaged
Liquid has penetrated into the equipment
The equipment has been exposed to moisture
The equipment has not functioned properly or in accordance with the User’s Guide
The equipment was dropped and damaged
The equipment has obvious signs of breakage

11. DO NOT LEAVE THE EQUIPMENT IN AN UNCONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT WITH A
STORAGE TEMPERATURE OF 600 C (1400F) OR ABOVE. IT MAY DAMAGE THE
EQUIPMENT.

FCC Information

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates
radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on. The user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more
of the following measures:

• Reorient the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connecting the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference and, (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Notice to user: Changes or modifications to this product not approved by the party
responsible for FCC compliance could void your authority to operate this equipment.

In order for an installation of this product to maintain compliance with the limits for a Class B
device, shielded cables must be used for the connection of any devices external to this product.

iii

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction........................................................................................... 1

Overview ................................................................................................................. 1

Item Checklist......................................................................................................... 1

Specifications......................................................................................................... 2

System Requirement ............................................................................................. 2

Features .................................................................................................................. 3

Tachyon G9000 series ..................................................................................................... 3

CATALYST™ Software Suite................................................................................. 3

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

Direct 3D

®

and OpenGL

®

............................................................................................... 4

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

Chapter 2 Installing the Hardware and Software .................................................5

Installing Hardware ................................................................................................ 6

To install your card.......................................................................................................... 6

Windows

®

“New Hardware Found” ...................................................................... 9

To identify new hardware in Windows

®

98, Windows® Me, Windows® 2000 or

Windows

®

XP .................................................................................................................. 9

Installing the ATI Driver for Windows

®

98/Windows® Me/Windows® 2000/ Windows®

XP.................................................................................................................................... 9

Chapter 3 Multiple Displays(optional) ................................................................ 11

Connecting Your Monitor(s)................................................................................ 11

Display Configurations........................................................................................ 11

Chapter 4 CATALYST™ Software Suite .............................................................13

ATI Displays Tab .................................................................................................. 13

Enabling/Disabling Secondary Displays (optional) ...................................................... 13

Enabling Extended Desktop Mode (optional) ............................................................... 14

Dynamic Display Reassignment (optional)................................................................... 14

Virtually Repositioning Your Displays (optional)......................................................... 15

ATI Color Tab........................................................................................................ 16

ATI Options Tab ................................................................................................... 18

ATI Overlay Tab.................................................................................................... 19

Video Overlay ............................................................................................................... 19

Chapter 5 Direct 3D

®

Control Panel ................................................................... 21

D3D Settings......................................................................................................... 21

SMOOTH VISION Properties................................................................................ 23

Anisotropic Filtering Properties ......................................................................... 24

iv

Chapter 6 OpenGL

®

Control Panel.....................................................................25

Optimization Preference...................................................................................... 25

OpenGL settings .................................................................................................. 26

Chapter 7 Using TV Out.......................................................................................27

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

Connecting to a TV or a VCR .............................................................................. 27

Starting Windows

®

with TV Display Enabled ..............................................................28

Using SCART Connectors for European TVs............................................................... 29

How To Enable/Disable The TV Display ...................................................................... 29

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

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

Using a Monitor vs. Using the TV Display................................................................... 30

Adjusting Monitor Display............................................................................................ 30

Viewing Text on a TV ................................................................................................... 31

Reducing Edge Distortion ............................................................................................. 31

Changing Display Configurations................................................................................. 32

Using Games and Applications ..................................................................................... 32

Appendix 1 --- Troubleshooting Tips ................................................................33

Appendix 2 --- Acronyms ...................................................................................34

Chapter 1 Introduction

http://www.tyan.com

1

Chapter 1

Introduction

Overview

The Tachyon G9000 series graphic accelerators deliver ground breaking 3D

graphics performance.

 Designed and built by TYAN Computer Corp.

 Powered by the RADEON™ 9000 series of Visual Processing Units

(VPU).

 Awesome 3D gaming performance.

 Support for OpenGL

®

applications.

 Support for Direct 3D

®

applications.

 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.

Item Checklist

Check that your package is complete. If you discover damaged or missing

items, contact your retailer.

 Tachyon Graphic Card

 Tachyon Graphic Card User’s Guide

 Driver CD with WinDVD player

 Three cables support S-Video and TV-Output

 DVI to D-Sub adaptor (Optional)

Tachyon G9000 Series

2

Specifications

 ATI RADEON™ 9000 Pro - 128-bit Visual Processing Unit (VPU);

275 MHz Engine/275 MHz Memory clock speed.

ATI RADEON™ 9000 - 128-bit Visual Processing Unit (VPU); 250

MHz Engine/200 MHz Memory clock speed

 64MB of DDR memory
 Supports resolutions up to 2048 x 1536 @ 85Hz
 SMARTSHADER™ advanced shader technology,

SMOOTHVISION™ flexible anti-aliasing, CHARISMA ENGINE™ II

geometry engine, PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II rendering engine, VIDEO

IMMERSION™ II digital video features, and more

 Optimized for DirectX™ 8/8.1 and OpenGL 1.3
 Dual independent 400MHz DACs
 VGA, DVI and S-Video connectors; S-Video supports NTSC and PAL
 AGP 4X/2X/1X compatible

System Requirement

Computer System

 Pentium®4/III/II, Celeron™, AMD K6/ Athlon® or compatible

with AGP 2X, or AGP 2X/4X bus slot

 128MB system memory
 Installation software requires CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
 DVD playback requires DVD drive
 Sound Card supported by Windows® with available line input.
 Interactive Program Guide requires internet connection
 Remote control receiver requires available USB port

Expansion Slot AGP 2X/4X slot

Operating System Windows®98/SE, Windows®Me, Windows®2000, Windows®XP

Monitor

VGA, supporting minimum 640x480 resolution. A Plug-and-Play
monitor that supports VESA’s Display Channel specifications
(DDC1 or DDC2b) is required to take advantage of the
DDC1/DDC2b features.
The DVI-I interface on Tachyon G9000 series cards can be used to
attach a DVI display or an analog VGA monitor, using the supplied
DVI-I-to-VGA adapter.
HYDRAVISION™ technology supports DVI or CRT monitor and
television.

Chapter 1 Introduction

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Features

Tachyon G9000 series

The Tachyon G9000 series card 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 VPU, 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

 Dual monitor support (optional)

 TV output support

 Digital flat panel support (optional)

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 Installing the hardware and software.

Tachyon G9000 Series

4

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 CATALYST™ Software Suite on page 13.

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 tweak their settings for the ultimate

experience in 3D image quality or 3D gaming performance. ATI’s Direct 3D

®

and OpenGL

®

tabs are available through 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

Direct 3D

®

Control Panel on page 21, and OpenGL® Control Panel on

page 25

HYDRAVISION™

In addition to the multiple display functionality available with ATI’s

CATALYST™ Software Suite, you can also use HYDRAVISION™ for

advanced multimonitor management.

Chapter 2 Installing the Hardware and Software

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5

Chapter 2

Installing the

Hardware and Software

Installing your card consists of three, easy steps.

 Placing the card in your computer

 Installing ATI’s enhanced display drivers

 Attaching input and output cables and optional TV, VDR, camcorder, etc.

This chapter explains how to place the card in your computer, how to install the

software, and how to connect the input and output cables.

BEFORE installing your Card…

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.

Uninstalling your current video card and driver

Before you install your Tachyon G9000 series card, it is important that you

remove the current video card and its driver. You can remove most video card

drivers form Windows

®

via an uninstall utility provided by the card’s

manufacturer---typically, this is an entry in the Programs menu. If no

manufacturer-provided uninstall utility is provided, you can remove the driver

by selecting it from the Add/Remove Programs menu in the Windows

®

control

Panel.

When the graphics card driver has been removed, the system should reboot.

Tachyon G9000 Series

6

1 Check the Display Properties page in Windows® to ensure that the driver

has been removed and the system is running the “Standard PCI Graphics

Adapter”(VGA) driver. If it is not, use the Change option in the Advanced

menu of the Display Properties page to change the driver.

2 Click StartÆSettingsÆControl PanelÆ Add/Remove Programs, and

remove all existing ATI software, such as ATI Display Driver, ATI DVD

Player, ATI HW DVD Player, ATI Video Player.

When the graphics card driver has been removed from Windows

®

, you can shut

down your computer and install your Tachyon G9000 series card.

Installing Hardware

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

If you are not sure whether your card is PCI or AGP, compare the bottom edge

of your card with the following illustration:

To install your card

1. Power off the computer and monitor, then disconnect the display cable

from the back of your computer.

2. Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your computer’s

Chapter 2 Installing the Hardware and Software

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7

manual for help in removing the cover.

3. Remove any existing graphics card from your computer.

Or, if your computer has any on-board graphics capability, you may need to

disable it on 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 Tachyon Graphic Card with the AGP slot, and press it

in firmly until the card is fully seated.

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

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

Grasp the
Tachyon
G9000 series
card by the
top edge and
carefully seat
it into the
correct slot.
Ensure that
the metal
contacts are
completely

p

ushed into

the slot.

Tachyon G9000 Series

8

5. Replace the screw to fasten the card in place, and replace the computer

cover.

6. Plug the display cable into your card; then turn on the computer and

monitor. If your Tachyon Graphic Card came with a DVI connector, you

can connect a flat panel display to the appropriate connector

You are now ready to proceed with the installation of the driver.

Make sure
all cables
are
securely
connected.

Chapter 2 Installing the Hardware and Software

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9

Windows® “New Hardware Found”

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

setting up your hardware click Ye s when prompted to restart.

To identify new hardware in Windows® 98, Windows®

Me, Windows

®

2000 or Windows®XP

1. Windows

®

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

®

to correctly identify your new hardware.

If the Wizard does not appear, proceed directly to Installing the ATI

Driver for Windows

®

98/Windows® Me/Winddows®2000/Windows® XP.

2. Click Next

3. Click Finish.

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

Driver for Windows

®

98/Windows® Me/Windows® 2000/Windows® XP, and

follow the step-by-step instructions to complete the installation.

Installing the ATI Driver for Windows® 98/Windows®

Me/Windows® 2000/ Windows® XP

With Windows® 98, Windows® Me, Windows®2000, or Windows® XP

running on your computer, you need to install the driver to take advantage of

the higher performance, resolutions, and special graphic features of the

Tachyon G9000 series card.

To ensure you install the latest driver, use the Driver CD that shipped with

your Tachyon G9000 series card.

To install DirectX

Install Microsoft DirectX 8.1(or later) to enable 3D hardware acceleration

support for Windows98/98SE or Windows ME to achieve better 3D

performance.

Tachyon G9000 Series

10

Note: For software MPEG support in Winindows98/98SE or Windows ME,

you must install DirectX first.

1. Insert the Driver CD into your CD-ROM drive.

If Windows

®

runs the CD automatically, proceed to step5.

2. Click StartÆ Run.

3. Type the following:

D:\TyanSoft.exe

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

4. Click OK

5. Click on Install Softwares.

6. Click on Install DirectX, then the installation Winzard begins

7. Click Ye s to make sure you should install the DirectX

8. Click Ye s to the license agreement.

9. Click OK to restart your computer

To install the driver

1. Insert the Driver CD into your CD-ROM drive.

If Windows

®

runs the CD automatically, proceed to step5.

2. Click StartÆ Run.

3. Type the following:

D:\TyanSoft.exe

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

4.

Click OK

5. Click on Install Softwares.

6. Click on Install Graphics Drivers.

7. Choose the right product you want to install driver(such as Tachyon

G9000)

8. Choose the right platform which you are using, then the Installation

Winzard begins.

9. Click Next.

10. Click Ye s to the license agreement.

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

The Express installation option is recommended. The multimedia

components will automatically be installed, along with the ATI driver, by

selecting this option.

Chapter 3 Multiple Displays(optional)

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11

Chapter 3

Multiple Displays(optional)

Connecting Your Monitor(s)

The Tachyon G9000 series card provides hardware support for one VGA

monitor and one flat panel monitor, or two VGA monitors using a

DVI-I-to-VGA adapter. It also provides TV Output via an S-Video out and an

S-Video-to-Composite out connector.

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).

To connect a flat panel directly to your card, use the DVI-I connector. To

connect a VGA 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.

When you use multiple monitors with your card, one monitor will always be

Primary. Any additional monitor(s) will be designated as Secondary.

Display Configurations

The following table lists the different ways you can connect displays to your

card.

Display

Configuration

Connector(s) Used Comments

One CRT display

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

CRT- cathode ray tube analog
display

One DFP display DVI-I connector DFP - digital flat panel display

One TV TV Output

Cards with S-Video out also
support Composite out via an
S-Video-to-Composite adapter.

Tachyon G9000 Series

12

Cards with Composite out DO
NOT support connection to TVs

with S-Video Input.

CRT display + TV

VGA connector + TV
Output

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

DFP display + TV

DVI-I connector + TV
Output

CRT display + DFP
display

VGA connector + DVI-I
connector

CRT display + CRT
display

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

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

CRT display + DFP
display + TV

VGA connector + DVI-I
connector + TV Output

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

CRT display + CRT
display + TV

UNSUPPORTED
CONFIGURATION

Chapter 4 CATALYST

TM

Software Suite

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13

Chapter 4

CATALYST™ Software Suite

The following section provides an explanation of each ATI tab available after

installing the CATALYST™ Software Suite.

○

i

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

ATI Displays Tab

The ATI Displays tab provides the multi monitor features. Here you can

enable /disable display devices and swap the assignment of Primary and

Secondary displays.

Enabling/Disabling Secondary Displays (optional)

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double-click Display.

Tachyon G9000 Series

14

2. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.

3. Click on 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 (optional)

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double click Display.

2. Click on the Settings tab.

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

desktop.

4. Click Yes 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 (optional)

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, refer to the section Enabling/Disabling

Secondary Displays (optional).

To enable Extended Desktop Mode, refer to the section Enabling Extended

Desktop Mode (optional).

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double click Display.

2. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.

3. Click on the ATI Displays tab

Windows

®

XP, Windows® Me, Windows® 98SE

Chapter 4 CATALYST

TM

Software Suite

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15

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.

Windows

®

2000 and Windows® NT4.0

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.

4. Click OK or Apply to save the changes.

Virtually Repositioning Your Displays (optional)

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

below.

2. Click OK or Apply to save the changes.

Tachyon G9000 Series

16

Ratiometric Expansion

The Tachyon G9000 series card 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.

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.

Chapter 4 CATALYST

TM

Software Suite

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17

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 OpenGL games played in fullscreen
mode. (NOTE: Game Gamma is NOT supported in Windows
NT4.0)

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.

Tachyon G9000 Series

18

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.

Show ATI
icon on
taskbar

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

Chapter 4 CATALYST

TM

Software Suite

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19

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.

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 display. The video overlay controls are automatically activated

during playback of any video file type that supports overlay adjustments.

Tachyon G9000 Series

20

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.

Defaults
button

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

Chapter 5 Direct 3D

®

Control Panel

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21

Chapter 5

Direct 3D

®

Control Panel

Using this tab, gamers can tweak the settings of their Direct 3D® games.

D3D Settings

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.

Tachyon G9000 Series

22

W-buffer
Support

Placing a check here will enable W-Buffer support for 3D
games. It is recommended to disable this for games that do not
support this feature.

Compressed
texture
formats

Enables support for DirectX compressed texture formats. Some
applications that can not handle too many texture formats. By
unchecking this feature, the driver will not support compressed
texture formats, thus reducing the number of texture formats
supported.

Alternate
pixel center

Selecting Alternate pixel center may eliminate problems with
some D3D 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.

Z-buffer bit
depths

Z-Buffer Bit Depth can be 16 bits, 24 bits, or 32 bits. For
example, by selecting “16;24”, the driver supports both 16bit
and 24 bit Z buffers. 16 and 24 are selected by default to
achieve optimum performance.

Dithering
method when
alpha
blending

Select the option that will remove certain onscreen artifacts that
are sometimes produced when both dithering and alpha
blending are enabled.

SMOOTH
VISION
button

Click this button to access SmoothVision properties for Direct
3D applications that support this feature.

Anisotropic
Filtering
button

Click this button to access Anisotropic filtering properties for
Direct 3D applications that support this feature.

Chapter 5 Direct 3D

®

Control Panel

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23

SMOOTH VISION Properties

SMOOTH
VISION
Quality
button

Select Quality for the best possible 3D image quality at a slight
reduction in 3D gaming performance. The maximum screen
resolution possible will automatically be indicated.

SMOOTH
VISION
Performance
button

Select Performance for the best possible 3D gaming performance at
a slight reduction in 3D image quality. The maximum screen
resolution possible will automatically be indicated.

SMOOTH

VISION
slider

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

Defaults

This button allows you to reset the Direct3D settings to default
values.

Tachyon G9000 Series

24

Anisotropic Filtering Properties

Anisotropic
Filtering
slider

The number of samples taken when anisotropic filtering is
performed can vary. By moving this slider to 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.

Chapter 6 OpenGL

®

Control Panel

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25

Chapter 6

OpenGL

®

Control Panel

Using this tab, gamers can tweak the settings of their OpenGL® games.

Optimization Preference

Quality
button

Placing a check here will optimize your OpenGL settings for quality.
Further refinements can be made by adjusting your OpenGL
Settings controls.

Performance
button

Placing a check here will optimize your OpenGL settings for
performance. Further refinements can be made by adjusting your
OpenGL Settings controls.

Tachyon G9000 Series

26

OpenGL settings

Convert 32 bit textures
to 16 bit button

Placing a check here may increase performance for
games that make heavy use of textures, but could also
reduce image quality.

Enable KTX buffer
region extension
button

Placing a check here enables rapid updates of those
portions of your screen that have been moved.

Enable page flipping
button

Placing a check here will enable hardware acceleration
of page flipping to swap full screen buffers.

Force 16-bit Z-buffer
button

Placing a check here disables other formats of Z-buffer
and utilizes 16-bit Z-buffering.

Disable dithering when
alpha blending button

Placing a check here may remove certain onscreen
artifacts that are sometimes produced when both
dithering and alpha blending are enabled.

Wait for vertical sync
button

Placing a check here will lower the frames per second
rate in full screen games but reduce the image tearing
that can occur with higher frame rates.

Enable texture
compression button

Placing a check here enables texture compression.

Level of Detail slider

The Sharp setting is recommended for larger, more
detailed, mipmapped scenes.
The Fuzzy setting is recommended for smaller, less
detailed, mipmapped scenes.

SMOOTH VISION
button

Click this button to access SmoothVision properties for
OpenGL applications that support this feature..

Anisotropic Filtering
button

Click this button to access Anisotropic filtering properties
for OpenGL applications that support this feature..

Chapter 7 Using TV Out

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27

Chapter 7

Using TV Out

View your PC’s display on a TV

The Tachyon G9000 series card 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
refresh rate and could be damaged.

 Please check the documentation supplied with your 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 How To Enable/Disable

The TV Display on page 29.Some TVs in Europe may use a SCART

connection. If you use SCART, please read Using SCART Connectors

for European TVs on page 28 before attempting to connect your PC to

your European TV.

Connecting to a TV or a VCR

To connect your card to a TV or a VCR, use the available TV Output

connector. Your card will support either an S-video connector or a Composite

connector. If your TV has cable input only, you can connect your card to your

Tachyon G9000 Series

28

TV through your VCR or

an RF modulator (available in most electronics stores).

The Tachyon G9000 series card that only has the S-Video out connector

DOES NOT support connection to TVs with S-Video In.

Connecting Your TV Output to a TV or VCR

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

2. Determine if your TV (or VCR) has an S-Video In or Composite In

connection.

3. The TV Output on your card will be an S-Video connector or Composite

connector. Please 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.

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

Starting Windows® with TV Display Enabled

The TV screen may become scrambled during the initial Windows® logo

display. This is only a temporary effect and your screen will be restored

within a few seconds.

Chapter 7 Using TV Out

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29

During start up, your card 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 an S-Video-to-Composite video adapter cable if

your card only supports the S-Video connector.

If your European TV has S-Video In, you can use an S-Video cable (available

in most consumer electronic stores) rather than the SCART connector if your

card only supports the S-Video connector.

The Tachyon G9000 PRO that only has the S-Video out connector DOES

NOT support connection to TVs with S-Video In.

How To Enable/Disable The TV Display

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double click Display.

2. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.

3. Click on the ATI Displays tab. Click on the TV button.

4. Click the enable/disable button.

5. Click OK or Apply to save the changes.

Tachyon G9000 Series

30

Using and Adjusting TV Out

For information about how to use TV display, right click the ATI taskbar

icon, point to Help, then point to ATI Television Display.

How TV Display Cannot Be Used

A TV cannot be left connected to the card 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 the card 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 Adjustments tab on the Monitor

Properties page (accessible by clicking on the Monitor button on the ATI

Displays tab) to adjust the display on your monitor only. Click on the TV

button to adjust the TV display only.

Chapter 7 Using TV Out

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31

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

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double click Display.

2. For Windows

®

XP, click the Appearance tab. For Windows® 98,

Windows

®

Me, Windows®2000, click the Settings tab, the Advanced...

button, then the General tab. For Windows

®

NT click the Settings tab.

3. In the Font Size box, select the size you want your displayed fonts to be.

4. Click Apply. If prompted, click Yes to restart your PC.

Reducing Edge Distortion

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

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double click Display.

2. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.

3. Click on the ATI Displays tab.

4. Click on the TV button.

5. Click the Adjustments tab.

6. In the Screen Size section, click on the plus (+) button beside the

horizontal arrowheads to increase the horizontal size of the TV display.

Tachyon G9000 Series

32

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

1. Access the Windows

®

Control Panel. Double click Display.

2. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced... button.

3. Click on the ATI Displays tab.

4. Click on the TV button.

5. Drag the Contrast slider to the right to increase the contrast.

6. Click OK or Apply to save the changes you have made.

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 Games and Applications

Some older games and applications may program the card 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.

Appendix 1 ---Troubleshooting Tips

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33

Appendix 1 --- Troubleshooting Tips

The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems.

Contact your dealer or TYAN 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 boot up, start your computer in Safe Mode.

In Windows98SE and Windows Me, press and hold the CTRL key until

the Microsoft 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.

 To contact TYAN for assistance, you can send e-mail to

[e-mail]

, or visit us on the website at

WWW.TYAN.COM

.

 To upgrade the Tachyon Graphic Card Driver, you can download it from

the FTP site: FTP://FTP.TYANCHINA.COM/pub/FAEDoc

.

Appendix 2 --- Acronyms

Tachyon G9000 Series

34

Appendix 2 --- Acronyms

Standard acronyms used in the literature are presumed known and will not be

explained. When in doubt, the reader can refer to the following table for a quick

check.

Acronym Full Expression

AGP Accelerated Graphics Port

ATPG Automatic Test Pattern Generation

ATSC Advanced Television Systems Committee

BGA Ball Grid Array

BIOS

Basic Input Output System. Initialization code stored in a ROM or
Flash RAM and used to start up a system or expansion card.

BIST Built In Self Test.

bpp bits per pixel

CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check

CRT Cathode Ray Tube

D3D Direct Draw 3D. A Microsoft standard.

DAC Digital to Analog Converter

DDC

Display Data Channel. A VESA standard for communicating
between a computer system and attached display devices.

DDR Double Data Rate

DFP Digital Flat Panel. Monitor connection standard from VESA.

DPM Defects per Million

DTV Digital TV

DVI

Digital Video Interface. Monitor connection standard from the
DDWG (Digital Display Work Group).

DVS Digital Video Stream

DX9/DX8.1 DirectX 9/DirectX 8.1. A Microsoft standard.

EPROM Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory

FIFO First In, First Out

HDTV

High Definition TV. The 1920x1080 and the 1280x720 modes
defined by ATSC.

I2C Bus Protocol (Philips Specification)

DCT Discrete Cosine Transform

JTAG Joint Test Access Group. An IEEE standard.

Appendix 2 --- Acronyms

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35

Acronym Full Expression

LOD Level of Detail

MB Mega Byte

MPEG

Motion Pictures Experts Group. Refers to compressed video image
streams in either MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 formats.

NTSC

National Television Standards Committee. The standard definition
TV system used in North America and other areas.

PAL

Phase Alternate Line. The standard definition TV system used in
Europe and other areas.

PCI Peripheral Component Interface

PEROM Flash Programmable and Erasable Read Only Memory

PLL Phase Locked Loop

POST Power On Self Test

ROP Raster Operation

SDRAM Synchronous Dynamic RAM

SGRAM Synchronous Graphics RAM

TMDS Transition Minimized Differential Signaling

UV Chrominance (also CrCb). Corresponds to the color of a pixel.

VBI Vertical Blank Interval

VESA Video Electronics Standards Association

VIP Video Interface Port

YPbPr

A

three signal analog interface method for display data. Similar to

YUV. Also known as "component video".

YUV

The method of video signal color encoding. Includes luma (Y, black
and white component) and chroma (UV, color component)