ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series User Guide P/N 037-41424-00
ii © 2007 Advanced Micro Devices Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this document are provided in connection with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (“AMD”) products. AMD makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this publication and reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time without notice.
iii Important Safety Instructions Note: This product is for use only with compatible UL-listed personal computers that have installation instructions detailing user installation of this class of product. Read all instructions before beginning installation. All safety and installation instructions should be read before the product is installed or operated. Retain all instructions. Safety, installation, and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. Heed all warnings.
iv Caution: An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits.
Contents Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Replacing an Existing Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 First Card for this PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi Searching the Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Graphics Card Installation Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The computer beeps and the boot process stops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The computer does not boot up properly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 1 Installation For support, you will need to record the serial number and the part number for the card before installation. Installation Overview The installation of the card has slightly different procedures depending on whether you are replacing an existing card or installing a graphics card in a PC for the first time. This section briefly describes the high-level steps for both cases. Replacing an Existing Card If you are replacing an existing graphics card, you need to: 1.
2 Installation Uninstall the Old Driver (Windows® XP) Follow these steps to uninstall the existing graphics card driver in preparation for installation of a new card. 1. With the current graphics card still in the computer, close all open applications. 2. On the Windows taskbar, click Start ▷ Control Panel and then double-click Add or Remove Programs. 3. Select the current graphics card driver and then click Add/Remove. The wizard will appear and help remove the current display drivers. 4.
3 First Card for this PC Install the Graphics Card 1. Turn off the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices. 2. Unplug the computer power cord and disconnect the monitor cable from the back panel of the computer. Caution: To avoid possible damage to the motherboard, wait approximately 20 seconds after unplugging the power cord before disconnecting a peripheral or removing a component from the motherboard . 3. Remove the computer cover.
4 Installation 1 Graphics card 2 Power supply 3 Power cable connector (from power supply) 4 Graphics card power connection 5 Power connector to graphics card 6 Power cable from power supply 8. Fasten the graphics card securely to the back panel. 9. Make sure the cables are not interfering with anything inside the computer (for example, a cooling fan) and then replace the computer cover. ATI Radeon HD 3800 series P/N 037-41424-00 © 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
5 Configure the Display (Optional) 10. Reconnect any cables you have disconnected and plug in the computer power cord. 11. Turn on the monitor and then the computer. The computer should start normally and the software must be installed next. Install the ATI Catalyst™ Software Suite To install or remove software, you must have administrator rights or be logged on as a user with administrator rights. Note: The installation dialog displays in English if the operating system’s language is not supported.
6 Installation 1. Right-click on the desktop and, in the shortcut that appears, click Properties. The Display Properties dialog appears. 2. Click the Settings tab and then select the screen resolution and color depth that best suit your requirements and the display’s performance. 3. Click Advanced and then select the Monitor tab. 4. Choose a refresh rate from the drop-down list. Caution: Choosing a refresh rate unsupported by the display may damage it. Consult the display’s documentation if necessary.
7 Display Adapters (Optional Accessories) 1 DVI-I Dual Link connection (It provides audio and video digital signals and HDMI™ output that is compatible with most HDMI devices.) 2 TV out 3 DVI-I Dual Link connection (It provides audio and video digital signals and HDMI output that is compatible with most HDMI devices.
8 Installation Table 1–1 Display Configurations (CrossFire Inactive) Display Connections CRT analog display DVI-I connection and DVI-I-to-VGA adapter LCD digital monitor • DVI-I connection and DVI cable TV • DVI connection and DVI-to-HDTV adapter and RCA cables • DVI-I connection and DVI-I-to-VGA adapter • 7-pin HDTV output cable HDTV display • DVI connection and DVI cable • DVI connection and DVI-to-HDTV adapter and RCA cables • 7-pin HDTV output cable and RCA cables HDMI HDTV ATI Radeon HD 3
Chapter 2 CrossFire CrossFire Introduction CrossFire technology allows a pair of graphics cards to be used in a single computer to improve display performance, creating a high-performance gaming platform. CrossFire works with all 3D games and applications. Performance enhancements experienced on a CrossFire system depend on the application or game being used. Performance improvements of up to 100% have been recorded.
10 CrossFire 1. Make sure the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices are off. 2. Unplug the computer power cord and disconnect the monitor cable from the back panel of the computer. Caution: To avoid possible damage to the motherboard, wait approximately 20 seconds after unplugging the power cord before disconnecting a peripheral or removing a component from the motherboard. 3. Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult the computer manual for help removing the cover.
11 Figure 2–1 CrossFire Bridge Interconnect Protection Tag Figure 2–2 CrossFire Installation 1 Power supply 2 CrossFire graphics cards 3 Interconnect 9. Connect the power supply to the cards. 10. Fasten the graphics cards securely to the back panel. © 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
12 CrossFire 11. Make sure the cables are not interfering with anything inside the computer (for example, a cooling fan) and then replace the computer cover. 12. Reconnect any cables you have disconnected and plug in the computer power cord. 13. Turn on the monitor and then the computer. You now need to enable CrossFire in ATI Catalyst Control Center. Enabling CrossFire 1. From the Graphics Settings tree, click CrossFire™. 2.
13 Use Graphics Cards with Different Amounts of Memory ati.amd.com/crossfire Use Graphics Cards with Different Amounts of Memory In some CrossFire configurations, graphics card with different amounts of memory can by used. However, restarting your computer is required after enabling CrossFire. This will cause CrossFire to reduce the amount of memory on the card with the most amount of memory to match the memory size of the graphics card with the least amount of memory.
14 CrossFire CrossFire Starts in Software Mode This is normal when starting up for the first time after installing two CrossFire graphics cards if neither card is installed in the primary PCI Express® slot. You can change the CrossFire mode in the ATI Catalyst Control Center. CrossFire Disabled After Swapping/Moving Cards If you change the CrossFire configuration by moving the graphics cards to different slots on the motherboard, disable CrossFire in ATI Catalyst Control Center first.
Chapter 3 Reference The following section offers troubleshooting tips and provides customer care, warranty, and compliance information. System Requirements Hardware Minimum requirements are: • Motherboard with one PCIe ×16 lane graphics slot. • AMD Athlon™ or Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU. • 1 GB RAM. • CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive for installing software. • A 450 watt or better power supply with 75 Watt 6-pin PCIe power connector. For a list of certified power supplies, see ati.amd.com/certifiedpsu.
16 Reference A simplified view of the features that includes wizards to quickly make changes. Advanced View A powerful interface that enables complete configuration of the feature set of the graphics card. The ATI Catalyst Control Center software can be customized for easy access to the most-used features. Basic View For information on the individual features of the software, access the comprehensive in-program help system (see Accessing Help or visit the AMD Customer Care Web site at http://ati.amd.
17 Searching the Help ➭ From the ATI Catalyst Control Center Dashboard, choose Help ▷ Help Contents to browse the entire help contents. ➭ From the ATI Catalyst Control Center Dashboard, choose Help ▷ Search Help to search the help contents for a specific term. ➭ To access AMD's Web site, from the ATI Catalyst Control Center Dashboard, choose Help ▷ Go to ATI.com. Searching the Help 1. In Advanced view, click Help in the Dashboard. 2. Click Search Help. 3.
18 Reference HDTV/HDTV Adapter Troubleshooting For more advanced troubleshooting information, contact AMD Customer Care for ATI products at ati.amd.com. Table 3–2 HDTV/HDTV Adapter Troubleshooting Tips Problem Possible Solution The colors on the Ensure that the connections between the component video TV display are adapter and the HDTV are correct. incorrect. There is no The TV will not display anything until Windows starts; this display on the TV. may take several minutes.
19 FCC Compliance Information Service Availability Language Access Online or mail 24 hours a day English, French, Spanish ati.amd.com/support Telephone Monday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. English 1-877-284-1566 (tollfree) or US & Canada Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Note: AMD reserves the right to change hours of support. For more information, please refer to ati.amd.com/support/ terms. or Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
20 Reference • This device may not cause harmful interference. • This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. 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.
21 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Compliance USA/Canada: • UL 60950-1, 1st edition, 2006-07-07 (Information Technology Equipment— Safety—Part 1: General Requirements) • CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-03, 1st edition, 2006-07 (Information Technology Equipment—Safety—Part 1: General Requirements) To meet UL safety requirements, the computer’s maximum room temperature should not exceed 40 °C.
22 Reference As this equipment has undergone EMC registration for household purpose, this product can be used in any area including residential area. BSMI Certification Information ATI Radeon HD 3800 series P/N 037-41424-00 © 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
