1.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade personal computer components Part 2

> Install display devices

Installing A Graphics Card

Following example is fo a AGP card, proccess is the similar for PCI(e) cards.

Note: If the computer has an on-board graphics capability, you may need to disable it on the motherboard or in the motherboard?s BIOS settings. For more information, see your computer or motherboard documentation.

1. Align the video card with the free AGP slot, and press down firmly. Stop when you feel the card is not going in any further, or the AGP lock locks in place.

2. Screw the card to the case at the metal bracket near the back of the case. Ensure that the card is secure and the AGP lock, if present, is in its locked position.

NOTE: Some newer model video cards will require that you connect a power cable from the power supply to the video card.

3. Replace the computer case side and reconnect all of the other cables. Start the computer.

4. Install the manufacturers Software

Accessing the Display Properties Panel Under Windows 2000 / XP

There are two methods to opening the DISPLAY PROPERTIES panel under Windows 2000 / XP:

• RIGHT-CLICK on an open area of the Windows desktop and select PROPERTIES from the drop down menu.

Or

• Click the START button on the Windows taskbar.
• Select CONTROL PANEL from the menu.
• Click APPEARANCE AND THEMES.
• Click DISPLAY.

BIOS Settings for Graphics Adapters

The following BIOS settings will commonly impact the performance and/or operation of a graphics adapter. Where applicable, a description of the setting, along with common symptoms that might occur with an incorrect setting, is noted. The recommended "default" to use for the setting is also provided.

NOTE: The exact names of various BIOS settings may vary from system to system. Not all systems will offer the options listed below. For specific information on the BIOS options available for your system, please consult the manual of your motherboard or check with the motherboard/BIOS manufacturer directly.

AGP Aperture Size (MB)

Select the aperture size of the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP).

The aperture is a portion of PCI memory dedicated for graphics memory address space.

If the memory aperture size is set too low you may experience:

• Windows Protections Error during startup
• Windows hangs at a black screen while loading
• the system may boot correctly but hangs after a few minutes of operation

For most graphics cards, the BIOS default setting (usually 64MB) for the AGP Aperture Size should be used. If you are using a graphics card with a 128MB or more of memory installed, a larger aperture size may need to be used.

AGP Bus Mastering

Enable this option to allow the graphics adapter to have priority over the system bus for transferring data directly to and from system memory. This improves performance on certain video operations such as 3D acceleration functions that use system memory.

Default settings:
AGP Bus Mastering should generally be Enabled.

AGP Driving Control

This option allows user adjustments to the AGP driving force. The value is adjusted using a hexadecimal value.

Default settings: AGP Driving Control should be left at AUTO. Most newer graphics cards will automatically adjust for the appropriate setting.

AGP Mode

Adjusts the bandwidth available for AGP bus data transfers.

The data transfer rate is calculated using the following formula:

• AGP 4X: 66MHz x 4 bytes x 4 = 1056MB/s
• AGP 2X: 66MHz x 4 bytes x 2 = 528MB/s
• AGP 1X: 66MHz x 4 bytes x 1 = 264MB/s

If the AGP Mode is set incorrectly you may experience:

• Windows Protections Error during startup
• Windows hangs at a black screen while loading
• the system may boot correctly but hangs after a few minutes of operation

AGP Mode should be set to match the capabilities of the graphics card you are using. For example, if you are using a AGP 2X capable graphics card, AGP 2X should be selected. If AGP4X is selected, the system may not function correctly.

In general, there should be no issues with having the AGP Mode set lower (e.g. AGP 2X when using an AGP 4X card) outside of a slight decrease in performance.

NOTE: If the AGP mode is set appropriately and you experience system hangs, you may wish to try lowering the setting as a test; for example, try setting it to AGP2X when using a AGP4X card. If the system functions correctly, this may indicate a problem with the AGP data path in the system. Several things may affect the AGP data path including other incorrect BIOS settings, an issue with the system BIOS, a memory issue, excessive bus noise, a display driver problem, etc.

PCI 2.1 Compliance

When enabled, the PCI bus will comply with the PCI 2.1 specification. For more information about the PCI 2.1 specification, please refer to your motherboard user guide or contact the motherboard manufacturer.

If all PCI adapters in the system support PCI 2.1, this option should be Enabled. If you have any PCI adapters which do not support PCI 2.1, this option should be set to Disabled.

Assign IRQ for VGA

Assign an Interrupt Request (IRQ) for the graphics adapter.

Assign IRQ for VGA should be Enabled.

Init. Display First

This setting is generally only a concern if you have both an AGP and PCI display adapter installed in the system.

Initialize the AGP or PCI video display before initializing any other display device in the system.

The setting for this option will depend on which display adapter (PCI or AGP) you wish to be "Primary" in the system.

Video Memory Cache Mode

Select the method in which video memory is cached.

• USWC (Uncached Speculative Write Combining) - Write-Back Cache mode
• UC (Uncached) - Uncached mode

Default settings: Video Memory Cache Mode should be set to the BIOS "default" setting.