Fire GL 8800 64/128 MB
User's Guide
ꢀꢁꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇ ꢈꢉꢇꢇꢇꢇꢊꢋꢌꢇ ꢍꢎꢏꢐꢉꢉꢉꢑꢏ ꢉꢇꢒꢁꢓꢈꢇꢔꢇ
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Table of Contents
ꢀꢁꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢂꢁꢅ ꢈꢂꢉꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢌ
ꢍꢂꢊꢎꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅꢀꢁꢊꢏꢐꢁꢅ ꢈꢂꢉꢊꢅꢑꢃꢒꢂꢃꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓꢅ
ꢔꢕꢅꢖꢕꢈꢅꢗꢊꢊꢉꢅꢘꢅꢙꢏꢂꢃꢆꢕꢈꢆꢅꢕꢚꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅꢑꢃꢒꢂꢃꢊꢅꢀꢁꢊꢏꢐꢁꢅ ꢈꢂꢉꢊꢛꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓ
ꢜꢂꢏꢊꢅ ꢝꢅ !!ꢅꢜꢊꢘꢆꢈꢏꢊꢁꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ "
#ꢖꢁꢆꢊ ꢅ%ꢊꢞꢈꢂꢏꢊ ꢊꢃꢆꢁꢅꢘꢃꢉꢅ'ꢕꢕꢒꢁꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ (
)ꢈꢂ*ꢟꢅ,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ -
,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢅ#ꢆꢊꢠꢁꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ -
Installing the Hardware and Software .............................7
,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅ/ꢘꢏꢉꢎꢘꢏꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ 0
ꢙꢏꢊꢠꢘꢏꢂꢃꢄꢅꢖꢕꢈꢏꢅ1ꢕ ꢠꢈꢆꢊꢏꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ 0
,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅ1ꢘꢏꢉꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ 2ꢌ
,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅ#ꢕꢚꢆꢎꢘꢏꢊ ꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢌ!
1ꢇꢘꢃꢄꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅꢍꢂꢉꢊꢕꢅ#ꢊꢆꢆꢂꢃꢄꢁꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢌ-
#ꢊꢆꢆꢂꢃꢄꢅ%ꢊꢁꢕꢒꢈꢆꢂꢕꢃ6ꢅ1ꢕꢒꢕꢏꢅꢔꢊꢠꢆꢇꢅꢘꢃꢉꢅ%ꢊꢚꢏꢊꢁꢇꢅ%ꢘꢆꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢌ-
#ꢊꢒꢊ*ꢆꢂꢃꢄꢅꢖꢕꢈꢏꢅ9ꢕꢃꢂꢆꢕꢏ ꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓ2
1ꢕꢃꢚꢂꢄꢈꢏꢂꢃꢄꢅ:ꢠꢠꢒꢂ*ꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢅꢙꢏꢕꢚꢂꢒꢊꢁꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓ0
:*ꢆꢂꢢꢘꢆꢂꢃꢄꢅꢘꢅ*ꢕꢃꢚꢂꢄꢈꢏꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢅꢠꢏꢕꢚꢂꢒꢊ5ꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓ0ꢅ
ꢅ
iii
ꢀꢁ ꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆ ꢇꢈꢁ ꢉꢄꢊꢁ ꢋꢌ ꢍꢍꢎꢎ ꢏꢊꢄꢃꢁꢊꢐꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢎ
ꢓꢊꢂꢔꢕꢖꢁꢐꢈꢂꢂꢇꢄꢅꢆꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢗ
ꢓꢁꢘꢈꢅꢄꢘꢙꢖ ꢏꢁꢇꢙꢄꢖꢐꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢚ
ꢉꢁꢙꢇꢔꢊꢁꢐ ꢙꢅꢛ ꢜꢁꢊꢝꢂꢊ ꢙꢅꢘꢁꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢚ
ꢜꢄꢅ !ꢐꢐꢄꢆꢅ ꢁꢅꢇꢐꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒ"
#ꢄꢛꢁꢂ $ꢂꢛꢁꢐꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒ%
&ꢂ ꢞꢖꢄꢙꢅꢘꢁ (ꢅꢝꢂꢊ ꢙꢇꢄꢂꢅ ꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢚꢗ
iv
1
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
Experience the speed and reliability of the FIRE GL™ 8800
workstation board. Based on the revolutionary next generation
geometry and rendering technology from ATI, it delivers affordable
high-end workstation 3D/2D graphics acceleration. FIRE GL™ 8800
has an optimized high-powered OpenGL® driver to provide
outstanding 2D and 3D performance. Perfect for MCAD, 3D game
development and other demanding applications, the FIRE GL™ 8800
will increase your productivity by enhancing your workstation’s
performance.
IN THIS CHAPTER
Using this Guide on page 2
Fire GL 8800 Features on page 4
page 5
2 Getting Started
Using this Guide
For your convenience, this online User’s Guide has been formatted as
an Adobe® Acrobat® PDF file. This format gives you great flexibility
when using this documentation.
Many hyperlinks provide easy access to any information you may
want. To make it useful in a printed format, too, a - hyperlinked -
table of contents and page numbers are provided.
Because it was designed to be used online and printed, some of the
images may not print clearly or appear very clearly on screen.
The organization of this Guide is as follows:
instructions for installing your Fire GL 8800 card and software and
connecting video output devices to your card.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 on page 25 explains how you can take
advantage of the advanced software utilities of your Fire GL 8800.
Reference on page 40 provides troubleshooting tips and regulatory
compliance information for your card.
using ATIJꢀHYDRAVISION™, a desktop management utility to
control multiple display desktops.
Getting Started
3
Viewing the User's Guide Online
You can also read the User's Guide online—important hypertext
links, such as Table of Contents entries, World Wide Web, and email
addresses are active.
Place your mouse cursor over Table of Contents entries or main
headings. If the hand icon changes to a pointing index finger, simply
click and you will move to that place in the document. Some email or
World Wide Web addresses inside this manual may be active as well.
Go directly to a Web, FTP site, or email program simply by clicking
on an active link. Displaying the provided bookmark and thumbnail
views may help you with the orientation and navigation in the User's
Guide.
This manual might be displayed with slightly-reduced magnification
in your Reader. If you experience any difficulty reading certain files
online, use the Reader’s Zoom To feature from the View menu and
increase the magnification to about 150%. To view some screenshot
images perfectly clear you may need a larger magnification.
Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's
Guide?
You can easily print this User's Guide to access it off-line. The
manual then will look like any standard document with a table of
contents and page numbers.
For printing the User’s Guide, a print resolution of 600 dpi -or higher
- is recommended.
4 Getting Started
Fire GL 8800 Features
•
•
RADEON™ 8800 GPU and 64 MB or 128 MB DDR memory
CHARISMA ENGINE™ II supports full Transformation,
Clipping and Lighting (T&L) at 75 million triangles/second peak
processing capability
•
PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II, the 3D rendering engine, powers 2.4
Gigatexels/second for fast fill rates in 32-bit true color resolution
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
VIDEO IMMERSION™ II, industry leading video technology
Full DirectX 8.1 support
High resolutions up to 2048 x 1536
DDC1/2b/2b+ monitor support on all operating system platforms
DualScreen resolutions up to 2x 1600x1200, 32-bit
Dual monitor support:
Single screen Analog
Single screen DVI (Digital)
DualScreen Analog + Analog
DualScreen Analog + Digital
Optimized OpenGL® software drivers
Simultaneously run in wire-frame and shaded mode, open or
close multiple windows and menus without compromising
performance
•
Customize and tune applications to meet your specific
requirements using the display profile utilities
For more detailed information on features and
Note:
on page 45.
Getting Started
5
System Requirements and Tools
•
•
Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD®
K6/Athlon® or compatible
128 MB of system memory
256 MB for best performance
Computer
system
•
•
Motherboard with free AGP 2x/4x slot
CD-ROM drive
•
•
•
Windows® NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 (or
higher)
Operating
system
Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1 (or
higher)
Windows® XP
You must be running Windows NT 4.0, updated
with Service Pack 5 (or higher) prior to installing
the Fire GL 8800 drivers.
For some languages you can perform the
Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack update from the
Fire GL CD when you run the Quick Start utility.
You must be running Windows 2000, updated
with Service Pack 1 (or higher) prior to installing
the Fire GL 8800 drivers.
Service Pack
Information for
Windows NT 4.0
and
Windows 2000
The Service Packs are available from Microsoft's
•
A screwdriver to remove and reinstall the
PC cover screws and card mounting
screws. See your PC manual for specific
requirements.
Tools
•
•
Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL 8800
High-resolution MultiSync or multi-
frequency monitors or other VGA monitors.
To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI
connector you may use the provided VGA-
to-DVI adapter.
Monitor
•
Digital flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD displays
and digital CRT displays
6 Getting Started
Quick Installation
•
•
•
Brief instructions on how to get to work with the Fire GL 8800 in
the shortest possible time.
Recommended for experienced users and system administrators
only.
For more detailed information on installation and operation of
your graphics accelerator, please refer to the corresponding
sections of the Fire GL 8800 User’s Guide.
Installation Steps
1
2
Un-install the drivers and software for your old graphics card.
Set the display driver to Standard VGA (only for Windows
NT 4.0).
Disable any on-board graphics solution on the motherboard.
3
4
5
6
7
Shut down and disconnect your computer system.
Remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card.
Install the new Fire GL 8800 card.
Reassemble and connect your computer system.
Install the Fire GL 8800 drivers and configuration software from
the Fire GL CD:
•
•
automatic Quick Start utility or
Start > Run > X:\START EXE
where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive
7
CHAPTER 2
Installing the
Hardware and Software
IN THIS CHAPTER
ꢀ
Installing the Hardware on page 7
Installing the Hardware
The hardware installation includes the following steps:
Preparing your Computer
•
Preparing your Computer
Turn off the power to your system and discharge your
body’s static electric charge by touching a grounded
surface—for example, the metal surface of the power
supply—before performing any hardware procedure.
The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damage,
caused directly or indirectly, by improper installation of any
components by unauthorized service personnel. If you do
not feel comfortable performing the installation, consult a
qualified computer technician.
Damage to system components, the accelerator card, and
injury to yourself may result if power is applied during
installation.
8 Installing the Hardware and Software
Information Before you Start
What do you need to
use your Fire GL
8800?
System Requirements and Tools
•
•
•
Motherboard with free AGP 2X/4X
slot.
128 MB of system memory
256 MB for best performance
System interrupt (IRQ) which is free.
This may have to be reserved in the
computer’s BIOS. For help with this
subject, refer to the manual for your
mainboard
•
•
Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD®
K6/Athlon® or compatible
Supported operating system
- Windows® NT 4.0 with Service
Pack 5 (or higher)
- Windows® 2000 with Service
Pack 1 (or higher)
- Windows® XP
•
•
A screwdriver to remove and
reinstall the PC cover screws and
card mounting screws. See your PC
manual for specific requirements.
Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL 8800
Installing the Hardware and Software 9
What type of monitors Your Fire GL 8800 is optimally configured
do you need?
to be combined with digital flat-panel
(DFP) TFT LCD displays and digital CRT
displays. You can also connect the Fire
GL 8800 to high-resolution MultiSync or
multi-frequency monitors or other VGA
monitors.
To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI
connector you may use the provided VGA-
to-DVI adapter.
Notes: (1) You need a Plug-and-Play
monitor that supports VESA’s Display
Channel specifications (DDC1 or DDC2) to
take advantage of the DDC1/DDC2b+
features
(2) You can use the full power of the
graphics card only if your monitor supports
the horizontal (kHz) and vertical (Hz)
refresh rates as required by the graphics
card. Refer to your monitor's
documentation for recommended refresh
rates
Where are the drivers?
•
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000
and Windows XP drivers are
provided on the Fire GL CD.
10 Installing the Hardware and Software
Are you planning a
multi-monitor system?
•
•
You may connect two monitors to
the Fire GL 8800.
If DDC support is available, the
respective resolution and refresh
rate for each monitor is
automatically detected.
•
Desktop Management utilities
HYDRAVISIONTM
DualScreen
Are you installing your Before you install your Fire GL 8800 card,
Fire GL 8800 in place we recommend that you first uninstall the
of a card from another the driver for your current graphics card.
manufacturer?
Windows NT 4.0: Reconfigure your
operating system to use the standard
display driver (VGA). For more information
about changing to the VGA driver, see
your operating system documentation.
Do you have an
integrated graphics
solution on the
motherboard?
Please refer to the manual or contact your
motherboard manufacturer to determine
how to disable your on-board graphics.
Plug-n-Play?
The card has been designed to take
advantage of 'plug–n-play' without
requiring additional hardware installation
or configuration.
The illustrations do
not show your card?
The illustrations provided in this section
are for instructional use only; the card
shown may look different than the one you
purchased.
Installing the Hardware and Software 11
Setting the Display Driver to Standard VGA
To avoid possible driver conflicts between your old and new graphics
card, install the standard VGA driver for your operating system.
Install the standard VGA driver before you shut down your computer
and remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card.
Note: Installing the standard VGA driver is not required for
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Installing the Standard VGA Driver for Windows NT 4.0
1
From the Start menu, go to Start > Settings > Control
Panel, then double-click on Display. The Display Properties
sheet appears.
2
3
Click the Settings tab; then click the Display Type button.
Under Adapter Type, click the Change button. The Change
Display window appears.
4
5
Under Manufacturers, select (Standard display types). Under
Display, choose VGA compatible display adapter.
Click OK. You may need to insert your Windows NT 4.0 CD-
ROM.
6
7
Click Close and OK as often as necessary to accept the changes.
Windows asks you if you want to restart your computer. Click
No.
8
Shut down your computer. You are now ready to remove your
old graphics card and install your new Fire GL 8800 card.
12 Installing the Hardware and Software
Installing the Card
To install your graphics accelerator card, follow these steps:
1
Switch off your computer and all external options (monitor,
printer, and others). Then disconnect all cables from the back of
your computer. Unplug all power cables from the electrical source.
Note: If you are disconnecting a peripheral from the computer or are
removing a component from the system board, wait 10 - 20 seconds
after disconnecting the computer from the electrical outlet before
disconnecting the peripheral or removing the component to avoid
possible damage to the system board. To verify that all power has
been removed from the system, make sure that the standby power
light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has gone out.
Installing the Hardware and Software 13
2
Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your computer
system manual about removing the cover.
1
Power Supply
Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the
metal surface of the computer chassis
3
Remove any existing graphics card from your computer.
If the old graphics card sticks rock it gently from end to end.
Remember to save the screw.
If your computer has any on-board graphics capability, you may
need to disable it on the motherboard. Refer to your computer’s
manual for more information.
14 Installing the Hardware and Software
4
Insert the card into the AGP slot.
Note: You can use the Fire GL 8800 in either AGP 2x/4x or AGP 2x
slots.
•
Locate the AGP 2x/4x slot. Compare the expansion slots in
your computer with the following illustration:
•
•
If necessary, remove the metal slot cover from the AGP slot.
Save the screw to secure the graphics card later.
Align the Fire GL 8800 with the AGP slot, and press it in
firmly until fully seated.
1
2
Fire GL 8800 card
AGP expansion slot
AGP cards are designed to fit one way only. Be sure your card is
properly aligned
Grasp the card by the top edge and carefully seat it into the AGP slot.
Be sure the metal contacts are completely pushed into the seat
Installing the Hardware and Software 15
5
Replace the screws to fasten the card in place.
•
•
Align the slot in the mounting bracket of the card with the screw
hole in the rear panel of the computer case.
Use the screws you removed from the expansion slot cover or a
previously installed graphics card to secure the card in place.
6
Reassemble your computer.
•
Secure ribbon cables and gently push them down and out of the
way before you replace the system cover.
•
•
Replace the computer cover.
Reconnect any peripheral equipment cables you may have
disconnected.
16 Installing the Hardware and Software
Connecting the Cables and
Completing the Installation
Connecting the Monitor Cables
You may connect one or two monitors, either analog VGA or
DFP/digital CRT to the Fire GL 8800.
The Fire GL 8800 supports the following monitor combinations:
•
•
•
single monitor – VGA
single monitor - DFP/digital CRT
dual monitor - VGA + VGA (you need the provided DVI-to-
VGA adapter)
•
dual monitor - VGA + DFP/digital CRT
The Fire GL 8800 does not support the dual monitor
combination DFP/digital CRT + DFP/digital CRT
Note
Connecting analog VGA Monitors
Securely attach the monitor’s data cable to the 15-pin VGA output
connector (1) on the card. Attach the cable to the monitor according
to the monitor's instructions.
Installing the Hardware and Software 17
Please use the DVI-to-VGA adapter provided with your
card to connect a second VGA monitor to the DVI
connector (2).
Note
c
VGA connector from
monitor
VGA to DVI- I adapter
a
b
Display cable
DVI-I connector on card
d
18 Installing the Hardware and Software
Connecting a Digital Flat-Panel (DFP) Monitor or
Digital CRT Monitor
Securely attach the monitor’s data cable to the DVI output connector
(2) on the card. Attach the cable to the monitor according to the
monitor's instructions. Please refer to the documentation that came
with your monitor if you need additional installation information.
Setting the Monitor Impedance
If you can switch the impedance values on your monitor, use the
following recommended settings:
•
•
RGB video input: 75 Ohm
Synch: 2.2 kOhm
Try other 'Synch' settings if you cannot achieve a stable video image.
If the impedance setting options are 'High' and 'Low' only, try the
setting that provides the most satisfactory monitor display.
Installing the Hardware and Software 19
Start your System
Switch on your monitor before you switch on your computer. Failing
to do so could damage your monitor.
If you have correctly installed the card, operating system messages
will appear on your monitor when the boot procedure is finished.
Your monitor is running in standard VGA mode. Higher
refresh rates etc. are not available at this stage of the
installation. After you have successfully installed the Fire
GL 8800 drivers you can use the dialogs in the Display
Note
Properties menu to adjust the video settings and set up a
multi-monitor configuration.
Your System Does Not Start as it Should?
•
•
•
Check again to verify that the installation instructions were
properly followed.
Check that the card is properly installed in your system and
connected to your monitor.
Refer to the documentation that came with your monitor:
Check your connections to the video and power cables.
Try adjusting the brightness, sharpness, and contrast controls of
your monitor.
•
If you have problems during start-up, restart your computer in
SAFE MODE.
In Windows® 2000 and Windows® XP, press and hold F8 until
you see the Windows® Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow
keys to select Safe Mode, and press Enter.
•
•
Check the system configuration utility of your operating system
for the interrupt assignments.
information, if it appears that the card is not performing
optimally.
•
Contact the Technical Support.
20 Installing the Hardware and Software
Installing the Software
ꢀ
Hints
NT 4.0
Software Installation for Windows 2000
You will need to install the Fire GL 8800 drivers and software in the
following cases:
•
•
After you have installed the card to your system.
After you have re-installed or upgraded your operating system.
(1) To install or remove the Fire GL 8800 drivers, you
need administrator rights or you must be logged on as a
user with administrator rights under Windows NT,
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
(2) Information for Windows NT 4.0:
You must have Microsoft Windows Service Pack 5 (or
higher) installed prior to installing the Fire GL 8800
drivers. The Service Pack is available from Microsoft's
can also perform the Service Pack update from the
Fire GL CD when you run the Quick Start utility.
Notes
(3) Information for Windows 2000:
You must have Microsoft Windows Service Pack 1 (or
higher) installed prior to installing the Fire GL 8800 drivers.
The Service Pack is available from Microsoft's web page,
Installing the Hardware and Software 21
Before you Start: Information, Tips, and Hints
Before you install the drivers for your Fire GL 8800 accelerator,
make sure your monitor cable is properly attached to the card.
Do you need a special driver installation?
The software installation procedure later in this chapter describes
how to install the drivers for your graphics card after you have
installed the new card for the first time and have rebooted your
computer.
This section offers some additional tips if you want or need to install
the graphics card drivers in a special working scenario, for example,
if you have re-installed your operating system, or if you want to
perform a manual installation.
•
You can always install the drivers using the Quick Start utility
on the Fire GL CD.
The Quick Start utility will start automatically, if you insert the
Fire GL CD into your CD-ROM drive after the operating system
has started. If your CD-ROM auto-run is not enabled and/or the
Quick Start program does not start automatically:
Click the Start button in the task bar, click Run, and then select
START.EXE from the root directory of the Fire GL CD.
•
•
Select Readme from the Fire GL CD start menu to display a
readme file. Refer to this file for additional and ‘last minute’
information. Information in this file may not appear in printed
documentation or online help.
Where are the drivers? When prompted for a driver installation
CD, insert the Fire GL CD and enter or browse to the path
corresponding to your operating system.
\NT4 - for Windows NT 4.0
\NT5 - for Windows 2000
\XP - for Windows XP
•
You must be running Windows XP, Windows 2000 - updated
with Service Pack 1 (or newer), or Windows NT 4.0 - updated
with Service Pack 5 (or newer), before installing the Fire GL
8800 drivers.
22 Installing the Hardware and Software
HYDRAVISIONTM Desktop Management
The HYDRAVISIONTM desktop management software will install
automatically with the standard driver installation of the Quick Start
program. If you do not want to install HYDRAVISIONTM select the
Custom driver installation and deselect HYDRAVISIONTM
.
ReadMe file
Select Readme from the Fire GL CD start menu to display a
readme file. Refer to this file for additional and ‘last minute’
information. Information in this file may not appear in printed
documentation or online help.
Driver installation dialog
The installation dialog will display in English if your operating
system’s language is not supported.
Software Installation for Windows NT4.0
1
2
Run the Quick Start utility. The Quick Start utility will start
automatically, if you insert the Fire GL CD into your CD-ROM
drive after the operating system has started. If your CD-ROM
auto-run is not enabled and/or the Quick Start program does not
start automatically:
Click the Start button in the task bar, click Run, and then select
START.EXE from the root directory of the Fire GL CD.
Click Start Installation.
If your Windows NT 4.0 is not correctly updated with
Service Pack 5, you are prompted if you want to install the
drivers and Service Pack at this time – if the appropriate
language version is available on the Fire GL CD.
Note
If the Fire GL CD cannot install the Service Pack to your
system, the driver installation stops. Obtain Windows NT
Service Pack 5 (or higher) from Microsoft, update your
Windows NT 4.0, and run the Quick Start utility again
3
Click the button corresponding to the type of installation you
want. If you select Custom, a list of software components will
be displayed. Select the check boxes to specify the components
you want to install.
Installing the Hardware and Software 23
Click Next to continue the installation.
4
5
When the ATI FGL Install dialog displays the components to be
installed click on Next. (Depending on which components you
chose different windows might appear. Click on the
corresponding buttons to continue the installation.)
6
7
When the Installation complete message appears click Next
again. This will restart your computer.
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display >
Settings, or right-click on the Windows desktop, select
Properties and Settings.
8
Set the resolution, color depth, and refresh rate that best suit your
requirements and your monitor's performance.
each monitor's settings in a dual-monitor configuration.
9
Click OK.
Software Installation for Windows 2000 and
Windows XP
1
Start your system. When the Found New Hardware Wizard
comes up, click Cancel. When the System Settings Change
window asks you to restart your computer, click No.
2
Run the Quick Start utility. The Quick Start utility will start
automatically, if you insert the Fire GL CD into your CD-ROM
drive after the operating system has started. If your CD-ROM
auto-run is not enabled and/or the Quick Start program does not
start automatically:
Click the Start button in the task bar, click Run, and then select
START.EXE from the root directory of the Fire GL CD.
3
Click Start Installation.
Windows 2000: If your Windows 2000 is not correctly
updated with Service Pack 1, the driver installation stops.
Note
Obtain Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 from Microsoft,
update your Windows 2000, and run the Quick Start utility
again
24 Installing the Hardware and Software
4
Click the button corresponding to the type of installation you
want. If you select Custom, a list of software components will
be displayed. Select the check boxes to specify the components
you want to install.
5
6
Click Next to continue the installation.
When the ATI FGL Install dialog displays the components to be
installed click on Next. (Depending on which components you
chose different windows might appear. Click on the
corresponding buttons to continue the installation.)
7
8
When the Installation complete message appears click Next
again. This will restart your computer.
After Windows 2000/Windows XP reboots, the Found New
Hardware message displays the Digital Signature Not
Found dialog and prompts you Do you want to continue
the installation? Click Yes to install and start the drivers.
9
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display >
Settings, or right-click on the Windows desktop, select
Properties and Settings.
10 Set the resolution (Screen area), and color depth that best suit
your requirements and your monitor's performance.
11 Click the Advanced button and select the Monitor tab.
12 Set the refresh rate for the monitor connected to the Fire GL
8800 graphics accelerator in your system.
Note: If you have two monitors connected this setting applies to
settings in a dual-monitor configuration.
13 Click OK until you are on the Windows desktop.
Refer to your Windows online help and documentation for
further information on using the Monitor and Settings
dialogs.
Note
25
CHAPTER 3
Using Your Fire GL 8800
IN THIS CHAPTER
Changing the Video Settings on page 26
on page 37
SEE ALSO
As part of its Windows drivers, Fire GL 8800 installs additional
property pages to your Display Properties control panel. They are
named as follows.
Information
DualScreen
ATI Monitor
Adjustment
Configuration
The Information dialog displays some card-specific hardware and
driver information. This information may be helpful when contacting
Tech Support.
configuration.
Settings and Windows Monitor dialogs, to select your monitor(s)
and adjust the screen display, resolution, and refresh rate.
individual application settings.
26 Using Your Fire GL 8800
Changing the Video Settings
The dialogs in the Display Properties menu allow setting and
adjusting the video settings to best suit your specific requirements.
How to Switch to the Display Properties?
1
2
Start Windows.
After Windows has finished booting, click Start > Settings >
Control Panel.
3
Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties
window appears.
(1) You can also display the Display Properties window
by right-clicking the Windows Desktop background and
then selecting the Properties option from the pop-up
menu.
Notes
(2) Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Click the Advanced
button in the Settings dialog to gain access to the
Monitor, ATI Monitor, Adjustment, and DualScreen
dialogs
Setting Resolution, Color Depth and Refresh Rate
Windows NT 4.0
1
2
Select the Settings dialog in the Display Properties window.
Set the resolution (Desktop Area), Color Palette and
Refresh Frequency that best suit your requirements and your
monitors' performance.
Note: The resolution setting applies to both monitors, if you
have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 27
Windows 2000 / Windows XP
1
2
Select the Settings dialog in the Display Properties window.
Set the resolution (Screen area) and Colors that best suit your
requirements and your monitors' performance.
Note: The resolution setting applies to both monitors, if you
have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.
3
4
Select the Windows Monitor dialog via Display Properties
> Settings > Advanced > Monitor.
Select the refresh rate from the Refresh Frequency box. If
you have two monitors connected, the refresh rate setting applies
Note: Refer to your Windows online help and documentation
for further information on using the Monitor dialog.
(1) Check the documentation of your monitor(s) and make
sure that each monitor supports the planned resolution
and refresh rate setting.
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\DualScreen) to set up
your two-monitor desktop.
Notes
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\ATI Monitor) to select
and set your specific monitor(s).
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\Adjustment) to adapt
the display of the monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.
28 Using Your Fire GL 8800
Setting a DualScreen Configuration
For settings in the DualScreen dialog you need the
following:
Note
- Two monitors connected to the card
- Both monitors switched on when you start your
computer
1
Windows NT 4.0: Select the DualScreen dialog in the
Display Properties window.
Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the DualScreen dialog
via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced >
DualScreen.
Refer to the context sensitive online help for more information on
setting up your DualScreen configuration.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 29
2
3
Select your Primary Monitor. The primary monitor is the left
monitor or top monitor, respectively, of a multiple-monitor
desktop. Monitor icon 1 is for the monitor connected to the VGA
connector, monitor icon 2 is for the monitor connected to the
DVI connector.
Select your Desktop Setup
Select Disable Secondary Monitor if you want to work in
single-monitor mode with the primary monitor.
Select Clone Mode if you want the display of the primary
monitor duplicated on the second monitor.
Select Extended Desktop Horizontal if you want to see the
left section of your display on the primary monitor and the right
section on the second monitor.
Select Extended Desktop Vertical if you want to see the
upper section of your display on the primary monitor and the
lower section on the second monitor.
The Extended Desktop settings will deselect the
hiding modes that the computer cannot display option
in the Monitor panel. Do not reset this option manually
Note
if you have an Extended Desktop enabled.
4
Select the Window Placement settings
Check Use HydraVision for Placement to define your
management software.
HYDRAVISION™ installation is an option of the video
Note
driver installation and may not be automatically
installed on your system.
Fullscreen
Select if you want a full screen window displayed On all
monitors, or only on the Current monitor - that is the monitor
where your mouse cursor currently is.
30 Using Your Fire GL 8800
Windows
Select how you want to display sizeable windows that normally
appear in the middle of the screen:
•
•
Unchanged, or
Moved fully to that monitor where the top left corner of the
window is.
Reports
Select a monitor where you want to display Windows messages
that normally display in the middle of the screen. This keeps the
screen area of the other monitor free for your work. You may
alternatively opt for displaying the reports Unchanged.
5
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your DualScreen
settings.
(1) Both monitors will operate with the same
resolution. Check the documentation of your
monitors and make sure that each monitor
supports your resolution and refresh rate setting.
(2) The Settings dialog will display the
corresponding DualScreen resolution. For
example, 1024x768 is a single-screen resolution,
using only one monitor. 2048x768 indicates the
same resolution for Extended Desktop Horizontal
using both monitors, and 1024x1536 indicates the
same resolution for Extended Desktop Vertical
Notes
using both monitors
(3) Refer to your Windows online help and
documentation for further information on using the
Settings dialog.
Settings\Advanced\ATI Monitor) to select and
set your specific monitor(s).
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\Adjustment) to
adapt the display of the monitors connected to the
Fire GL 8800.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 31
Selecting your Monitor
1
Windows NT 4.0: Select the ATI Monitor dialog in the
Display Properties window.
Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the ATI Monitor dialog
via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > ATI
Monitor.
In Windows 2000 / Windows XP the ATI Monitor dialog is
not active
- if you have only one monitor connected to the card
- if you have disabled the secondary monitor in the
Note
Use the Windows Monitor dialog (Display Properties >
Settings > Advanced > (Windows) Monitor) to select
your specific monitor.
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\Adjustment) to adapt
the display of the monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.
32 Using Your Fire GL 8800
You can customize the settings of the connected monitors. For
more information on setting up the monitors refer to the context
sensitive online help.
2
3
Click the tab for the monitor you want to set up. Monitor 1 is
the monitor connected to the VGA connector, Monitor 2 is the
monitor connected to the DVI connector.
Set the desired operation mode for your monitor.
Custom Modes
Use resolution and refresh rates for this monitor as specified in
the Settings dialog and menus in Display Properties. This
option allows you to take full advantage of the resolution/refresh
rate capabilities of the video chip.
Warning! Selecting a resolution or refresh rate that
your monitor does not support can permanently
damage the monitor.
Check the monitor’s documentation and verify that it
supports the selected resolution and refresh.
Select from list
Use resolution/refresh rate settings optimized for your specific
monitor.
•
Select your monitor from the displayed monitor list. To
select your monitor, scroll to the manufacturer of your
monitor and highlight the manufacturer in the list. Click on
the + sign and select your monitor.
A list on the right menu pane displays resolutions and -
for each resolution - the maximum refresh rate, as
supported by the selected monitor.
If the current video mode (specified in the Settings
dialog) is not supported by the selected monitor, the
resolution/refresh rate setting will be automatically
reduced.
•
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your monitor
selection.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 33
Select from list (continued)
If the list does not display your monitor type and you have a
disk from the monitor manufacturer, use the Have Disk button
to import the monitor information to the internal monitor list.
•
•
•
Click the Have Disk button, insert the disk, and select the
directory or file containing information about your monitor.
Then select your monitor and click the Apply or OK
button.
Click the Display FireGL Monitor List button to switch
the displayed monitor list back from the manufacturer's
disk to the internal monitor list..
DDC Monitor
Select this option and click the Apply or OK button if you want
the driver to automatically decode the monitor's DDC (Display
Data Channel) information on each reboot or Windows start.
To detect a new DDC monitor immediately, click the Detect
now button. An error message will be displayed if the
connected monitor does not support DDC
Refresh Frequency
for Monitor 2 - the monitor connected to the DVI connector -
only.
Select the desired refresh rate. All refresh rates supported by
the monitor for the currently selected resolution are displayed.
NOTE: Use the Settings or (Windows) Monitor dialogs of the
Display Properties to set the refresh rate for Monitor 1 - the
monitor connected to the VGA connector
4
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your monitor settings.
34 Using Your Fire GL 8800
Adjusting the Monitor Display
Using this dialog you can adjust the display of the connected
monitor(s). For more information on adjusting the monitor's display
refer to the context sensitive online help.
1
Windows NT 4.0: Select the Adjustment dialog in the
Display Properties window.
Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the Adjustment dialog
via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced >
Adjustment.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 35
2
Monitor Tuning:
Monitor Tuning is available only for VGA monitors. If you
have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800:
Note Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector,
Monitor 2 is the VGA monitor connected to the DVI
connector.
•
With the buttons in the Move and Size sections you can tune the
position and size of the monitor's display for the indicated
resolution and refresh rate
(1) Use the hardware setting controls on your
monitor, if available, to adjust your display size or
position - instead of the software controls in
'Adjustment - Monitor Tuning.' Check the
documentation of your monitor for information on
Notes
your monitor's hardware controls
(2) Resizing the display slightly changes the actual
refresh rate. If you operate a fixed-frequency monitor
check the documentation of your monitor for
information on refresh rate tolerances.
•
•
Sync Polarity: If you do not get a satisfactory display with the
default sync polarity setting for the current resolution, you may
try and change the settings.
Undo: Click this button to undo the last change you made (when
you clicked Apply). If you have made a modification that causes
your screen to go blank or to be unreadable, the keyboard
shortcut for ‘Undo’ is Alt-U.
•
Default: Click this button to set the Monitor Tuning to the
manufacturer's default settings.
36 Using Your Fire GL 8800
(1) Press the ESC key on your keyboard to undo the
changes if your monitor has lost synchronization. You may
also use the keyboard shortcut for ‘Undo’ - Alt-U.
Notes
(2) If you change the resolution (in Settings) and/or the
refresh rate (in Monitor), you may need to re-adjust the
monitor's display.
3
Gamma Correction Adjustment: Adjust the monitor's
gamma correction for optimal brightness with the red, green and
blue slider bars.
When these sliders are changed the gamma correction table
modifies each pixel's color value.
The Gamma Correction Adjustment settings apply to both
monitors, if you have two monitors connected to the Fire GL
8800.
Note
The brightness produced at the face of the display is proportional
to the input voltage raised to the power gamma. This nonlinearity
must be compensated to achieve correct reproduction of the
image's brightness. The effect of display gamma is to darken the
midtones relative to the dark and light regions. The gamma
correction adjustment affects the entire screen display. The
possible setting range is 0.3 - 4.0. The default setting is 1.0.
With Link sliders selected, the three sliders move together as
you drag any individual slider. With the check box unchecked,
you can adjust colors individually by dragging the applicable
slider.
Click the >1< button - for each color - to set the gamma
correction to the default value of 1.0.
4
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your Adjustment
settings.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 37
Configuring Application Profiles
individual application settings.
How to switch to the Configuration dialog?
Windows NT 4.0: Select Display Properties > Configuration.
Windows 2000 Windows XP: Select Display Properties >
Settings > Advanced > Configuration.
Activating a configuration profile:
For some of the most popular applications the optimal configuration
profile is factory-set by default. Select the application from the list in
the Configuration Profiles section. This will add necessary
Windows registry settings. Click Apply and, if prompted, restart
Windows.
If you experience problems with your application, or if you want to
try to optimize the performance of your system on specific
applications, you may modify the configuration settings.
38 Using Your Fire GL 8800
(1) The configuration default settings typically require
modification only for the following:
•
•
diagnostic purposes
fine-tuning a specific application/system
configuration
•
•
specific settings recommended by your hardware or
software documentation
Notes
tuning your application/system environment for best
performance and memory usage
(2) Only experienced users should modify the
configuration settings
Using Your Fire GL 8800 39
Adding a new application profile:
Click the Add button in the Configuration Profiles section and
enter the new application for which you want to set the configuration
parameters.
Modifying the configuration parameters:
To change the configuration settings of a specific application, for
example, CATIA, select the application from the list in the
Configuration Profiles section and click the Modify button. To
remove the selected configuration profile completely, click Delete.
Note: You cannot delete the factory-set configuration profiles.
If you add or modify a configuration profile, select or clear the
checkboxes the Settings section according to your requirements.
Default Settings
Enable 8-Bit double-buffered Overlay Planes
Use 8 bits of each 32-bit frame buffer pixel as double-buffered
overlay planes.
Force copy swap
Force blit copy from back to front buffer.
Wait for vertical retrace
Buffer swap 'synched' to vertical retrace. Enable this function for best
picture quality. If you disable ‘Wait for vertical retrace’ you may
experience visual artifacts such as tearing. However, this function
may be disabled for performance benchmarking.
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your Configuration
settings.
40
CHAPTER 4
Reference
IN THIS CHAPTER
ꢀ
Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers on
page 40
Troubleshooting on page 42
Technical Details on page 45
Compliance Information on page 52
Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers
This section describes how to properly remove your graphics card
software from your system should you need to do so.
(1) Before removing the Fire GL 8800 video driver, please
close all open application programs and disable any anti-
virus software that is running on your computer until the
driver is removed.
Notes
(2) To install or uninstall the Fire GL 8800 drivers, you
need administrator rights or you must be logged on as a
user with administrator rights under Windows.
1
2
From the Start menu, click Start > Programs > ATI FGL,
Click ATI FGL Install/Uninstall. The ATI FGL Install dialog
appears.
Reference 41
3
Click Add/Remove component.
Select ATI Fire GL 8800 Video Accelerator and uncheck the
checkbox
Note: Make sure that only those components are unchecked that
you want to remove now. (Click Back and Add/Remove
component to select specific software components for
removal.)
4
5
Click Next. to remove the Fire GL 8800 driver
Follow further instructions displayed on your screen.
After you have removed the software according to the instructions,
you may remove the hardware.
1
2
Shut down your computer.
Remove the computer case as outlined in the hardware
installation instructions.
3
4
Ground yourself by touching the power supply box.
To remove the hardware, simply reverse the hardware
installation procedures.
42 Reference
Troubleshooting
Your board is a complex electronic device and can only be repaired
by authorized technical personnel with special equipment. Do not
attempt to change or repair any parts of this product. Doing so will
render your warranty invalid.
If you experience a problem using the Fire GL 8800, check the
following sections for advice on how to solve your problem.
Technical Support and FAQs
You may find information on Technical Support, as well asꢀ
Frequently Asked Questions and their answers at the web sites of
No image appears on monitor when computer system is turned
on
•
Make sure that the Fire GL 8800 is firmly seated and lined up
properly in its AGP slot, and that the monitor cable is firmly and
correctly connected to the card. For more information, please
refer to Installing the Hardware.
•
•
Make sure that your computer and monitor are plugged into
electrical outlets and receiving power.
Is the monitor turned on and receiving power?
Screen image defects appear
Check if your monitor supports the resolution, horizontal (kHz) and
vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required by the graphics card.
Check for your current resolution, refresh rate, and color depth
settings in the Settings and Monitor dialogs of the Display
Properties.
Warning! Be sure that both video card and monitor support
resolution and refresh rates you select. Incompatible
resolution/refresh rate selection may result in monitor
damage. Refer to your monitor's documentation for
recommended resolutions and refresh rates.
Reference 43
Screen image is off-center, color balance is wrong, or there is
no picture
•
Try adjusting the brightness, sharpness, contrast, and color
balance controls of your monitor.
•
Try adjusting the centering and positioning controls of your
monitor to position the picture on the screen.
Note: The Monitor Tuning settings in Display Properties >
Adjustment tune the position of the picture on the screen via
the video signal.
•
Set the monitor’s RGB inputs (and sync switches, if this option
is available) to 75 Ohms, with the sync set to external.
Operating system warns that the video card is not configured
properly
•
Check the driver installation and make sure that all software is
correctly loaded corresponding to your operating system and
applications. For more information, please see Installing the
•
Set Windows back to ‘Standard VGA’ and re-install the Fire GL
8800 drivers.
How to enable a two-monitor desktop?
1
You need two monitors connected to the card.
Both monitors must be switched on when you start your
computer.
2
Check the DualScreen page of the Display Properties. Make
sure that Disable Secondary Monitor is not checked.
44 Reference
Checking for address and interrupt conflicts
•
It is necessary to ensure that the I/O and memory addresses
reserved for the graphics board are not used by other
hardware devices.
•
The integrated on-board VGA controller of your Fire GL 8800
uses the following addresses (hex):
I/O Address:
Standard VGA I/O: 3B0-3DF
Memory Addresses:
Video RAM: A000-BFFF
Video ROM: C000-C7FF
Note: You cannot change the addresses of your Fire GL 8800.
In case of an address conflict, try to modify the I/O address of
the add-on card that causes the conflict.
Resolving Interrupt Conflicts
To support the special graphics processor on the Fire GL 8800 the
system BIOS should automatically assign a system interrupt to the
AGP slot where the card is installed. However, there may be
problems if your graphics card does not receive an interrupt or a
system interrupt is used for more than one device. In case of
problems check the system configuration utility of your operating
system for the interrupt assignments.
Reference 45
Technical Details
ꢀ
Features and Performance on page 45
Pin Assignments on page 47
Video Modes on page 49
Features and Performance
General
Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000, Windows® XP
Operating
environment
Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD® K6/Athlon® or
compatible
System
requirements
FCC/DOC, ICES-003, CE/DOC, SMA C-Tick, MIC,
BSMI, VCCI
Certifications
Dimensions
Length: 174.6 mm (6.9 inches)
Width: 108.0 mm (4.25 inches)
+ 3.3 Volts DC: 15 Watts maximum
+ 5 Volts DC: 5 Watts maximum
+ 12 Volts DC: 4 Watts maximum
Power
requirements
46 Reference
Functional
Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000,
Windows® XP
System
AGP 2x or AGP 4x/2x
Bus System
RADEONTM 8800 GPU
Graphic
controller
Fire GL 8800 /64 MB: 64 MB SDRAM
Fire GL 8800 /128 MB: 128 MB SDRAM
Video memory
BIOS
128 Kbyte BIOS FlashROM, reprogrammable by
software, 3.3 V
30-bit Palette DAC
DAC speed : 400 MHz
Digital/analog
converter
256 bit – graphics core
128 bit – memory interface
Data width
VGA output connector: 15-pin D-shell, female
DVI-I output connector: analog and digital output,
female
Connectors
Separate horizontal and vertical sync at TTL
levels
H/V Sync output
signals
The Fire GL 8800 graphics accelerator is 100%
IBM VGA compatible and occupies the same
memory area and specific addresses in the I/O
range. The memory range above 1 MB is
automatically assigned through the PCI BIOS
interface
Fire GL 8800
card addresses
I/O addresses: 3B0 – 3DF (Standard VGA i/O)
Video RAM: A000-BFFF
Video ROM: C000-C7FF
Reference 47
3D Performance
Test system: Intel P4 1.5 GHz, single processor, 512 MB Rambus
•
•
•
•
12.5 Million antialiased 3D 10-pixel vectors per second
29.1 Million 3D 10-pixel vectors per second, non-antialiased
45.1 Million 1-pixel triangles per second
12.3 Million 25-pixel triangles per second, Gouraud-shaded, Z-
buffered, non-textured
•
•
•
12.3 Million 25-pixel triangles per second, Trilinear Texture,
Mip-mapped
1.06 Giga Pixels/second fill rate, Gouraud shaded, Z-buffered,
non-textured
1.06 Giga Pixels/second Trilinear Texture fill rate (Mip
mapped)
Pin Assignments
VGA Output Connector
Pin Function
Pin
Function
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Red
9
+ 5V (fused 750 mA)
ground (sync return)
not connected
Green
10
11
12
13
14
15
Blue
not connected
ground (analog)
Red Return (ground)
Green Return (ground)
Blue Return (ground)
SDA (DDC Data)
Horizontal Sync (+)
Vertical Sync (-)
SCL (DDC Clock)
48 Reference
Pin Function
DVI-I Output Connector
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
T.M.D.S. Data2-
T.M.D.S. Data2+
T.M.D.S. Data2/4 Shield
T.M.D.S. Data4-
T.M.D.S. Data4+
DDC Clock
DDC Data
Analog Vertical Sync
T.M.D.S. Data1-
10 T.M.D.S. Data1+
11 T.M.D.S. Data1/3 Shield
12 T.M.D.S. Data3-
13 T.M.D.S. Data3+
14 + 5V Power
DVI: Digital Visual Interface
DDC: Display Data Channel
15 ground (for + 5V)
16 Hot Plug Detect
17 T.M.D.S. Data0-
18 T.M.D.S. Data0+
19 T.M.D.S. Data0/5 Shield
20 T.M.D.S. Data5-
21 T.M.D.S. Data5+
22 T.M.D.S. Clock Shield
23 T.M.D.S. Clock+
24 T.M.D.S. Clock-
T.M.D.S: Transition Minimized
Differential Signal
MicroCross Pins:
C1 Analog Red Video Out
C2 Analog Green Video Out
C3 Analog Blue Video Out
C4 Analog Horizontal Sync
C5 Analog Common Ground
Return (Red, Green, Blue
Video Out)
Reference 49
Video Modes
All video modes comply with VESA DMT (Discrete Monitor
Timing) or VESA GTF (General Timing Format) standards. The Fire
GL 8800 supports HiColor, 16-bit modes and TrueColor, 32-bit (24
color, 8 α) modes. There is no support for 8-bit modes.
Analog and digital monitors with 15-pin VGA connector –
single monitor
Resolution
Line Frequency
(kHz)
Refresh Rate
(Hz)
Color
Depth
(Bits)
640 x 480
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1152 x 864
1280 x 960
31.5, 37.5, 43.3, 50.9 60, 75, 85, 100, 16 / 32
37.7, 46.9, 54.1, 63.9 60, 75, 85, 100
48.4, 60.0, 68.7, 80.8 60, 75, 85, 100
53.7, 67.5, 77.1, 91.5 60, 75, 85, 100
60.0, 75.1, 85.7, 101.7 60, 75, 85, 100
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
1280 x 1024 64.0, 80.0, 91.1, 107.0 60, 75, 85, 100
1600 x 1000 62.1, 78.3, 89.2, 105.9 60, 75, 85, 100
1600 x 1024* 63.6, 80.2, 81.3, 91.4, 60, 75, 76, 85,
107.5
100
1600 x 1200 75.0, 93.8, 106.3
1792 x 1344 83.6, 106.3, 119.9
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
1920x1080** 67.1, 84.6, 96.4, 114.4 60, 75, 85, 100
1920 x 1200* 74.5, 94.0, 95.0,
107.1, 127.1
60, 75, 76, 85,
100
2048 x 1536 95.3, 120.2, 137.0
60, 75, 85
16 / 32
*: Wide Screen Aspect Ratio Mode (16:10)
**: Wide Screen Aspect Ratio Mode (16:9)
50 Reference
Digital Monitors with DVI connector – single monitor
Resolution
Refresh Rate (Hz)
Color Depth (Bits)
16 / 32
640 x 480
60, 75
60, 75
60, 75
60, 75
60, 75
60, 75
60
800 x 600
16 / 32
1024 x 768
1152 x 864
1280 x 960
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1000
1600 x 1024*
1600 x 1200
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
60
16 / 32
60
16 / 32
Dual Screen - 2 Monitors with VGA connector
Resolution
Refresh Rates (Hz)
Color Depth
(Bits)
Dual
Monitor 1
Monitor 2
640 x 480
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100 16 / 32
60, 75, 85, 100 16 / 32
60, 75, 85, 100 16 / 32
60, 75, 85
60
16 / 32
16 / 32
Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector
Monitor 2 is the monitor connected to the DVI connector
Reference 51
Dual Screen -
Resolution
1 Monitor with VGA connector and
1 Monitor with DVI connector
Refresh Rates (Hz)
Color Depth
(Bits)
Dual
Monitor 1
Monitor 2
60, 75
60, 75
60, 75
60, 75
60
640 x 480
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
60, 75, 85, 100
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
16 / 32
Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector
Monitor 2 is the monitor connected to the DVI connector
52 Reference
Compliance Information
FCC Compliance Information
FCC - DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
FOR A CLASS B DIGITAL DEVICE
We, the Responsible Party
ATI Research Inc.- Fire GL Graphics
4 Mount Royal Avenue, Marlborough, MA
01752-1978 USA; Phone: (508) 303-3900
declare that the product Fire GL 8800 AGP
complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. The compliance with those
standards is confirmed in an accreditation certificate.
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.
•
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the
graphics card is required to ensure compliance with FCC
regulations.
•
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by
the party responsible for compliance could void the user's
authority to operate this equipment
Industry Canada Compliance Statement
ICES-003
This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences
du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
Reference 53
CE Compliance Information
EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendments 91/263/EEC,
92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, Class B Digital Device
EN 55022:1998/CISPR 22 Class B, Limits and Methods of
Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics Information
Technology Equipment.
EN 55024:1998, Immunity of Information Technology Equipment
(ITE), including
EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5,
EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11
EN 60950:92 + A1:93 + A2:93 +A3:95 + A4:97
Directive EMC 89/336/CEE et amendements 91/263/CEE,
92/31/CEE et 93/68/CEE, dispositif numérique de Classe B
EN 55022 :1998/CISPR 22 Classe B, Limites et méthodes de mesure
des caractéristiques d'interférences radiophoniques, Matériel des
technologies de l'information.
EN 55024:1998, Norme sur l'immunité de matériel des technologies
de l'information, et comprenant
EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5,
EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11
EN 60950:92 + A1:93 + A2:93 +A3:95 + A4:97
EMC Richtlinie 89/336/EEC und Änderungen 91/263/EEC,
92/31/EEC und 93/68/EEC, Digitales Gerät der Klasse B
EN 55022:1998/CISPR 22 Klasse B, Beschränkungen und Verfahren
der Messung von informationstechnischen Ausrüstungen mit
Funkstörmerkmalen
EN 55024:1998, Unempfindlichkeits-Standard für
informationstechnische Ausrüstungen, einschliesslich
EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5,
EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11
EN 60950:92 + A1:93 + A2:93 +A3:95 + A4:97
54 Reference
VCCI Class B ITE Compliance Information
|