AMD Radeon™ HD 6850/6870: User Guide
AMD Radeon™ HD 6850/6870: User Guide
AMD Radeon™ HD 6850/6870: User Guide
User Guide
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Turion, AMD64, All-in-Wonder, Avivo, Catalyst, CrossFireX, FirePro, FireStream, HyperMemory, OverDrive,
PowerPlay, PowerXpress, Radeon, Remote Wonder, Stream, SurroundView, Theater, TV Wonder, The Ultimate
Visual Experience, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
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HDMI is a licensed trademark of HDMI Licensing, LLC.
DisplayPort is a licensed trademark of Video Electronic Standards Association.
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or other jurisdictions.
Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of
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Macrovision
Licensed for limited viewing uses only.
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by US patents and other
intellectual property rights. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision,
and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision.
Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.
Disclaimer
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
assumes no liability with respect to the operation or use of AMD hardware, software or other products and
documentation described herein, for any act or omission of AMD concerning such products or this
documentation, for any interruption of service, loss or interruption of business, loss of anticipatory profits, or
for punitive, incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of
the AMD hardware, software, or other products and documentation provided herein. Ensure that you have the
latest documentation.
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. All warnings regarding the product and its operating instructions should be obeyed.
Use appropriate grounding.
Caution:
For continued protection against the risk of electric shock and fire, install this accessory only in products
equipped with a three-wire grounding plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This is a safety feature.
Do not remove the grounding pin of a three-pin plug.
Attach product securely. All product-securing screws or fasteners should be completely tightened in order to
provide continuous bonding between the product and the PC chassis, as appropriate.
Chapter 7 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.1 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.1.1 Graphics Card Installation Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.1.2 Troubleshooting AMD CrossFireX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7.1.3 HDTV/HDTV Adapter Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
7.2 Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.3 International Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.3.1 FCC Compliance Information (USA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7.3.2 Industry Canada Compliance Statement (Canada) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7.3.3 CE Compliance Information (European Union) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7.3.4 Electrical Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
7.3.5 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Compliance (European
Union) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
7.3.6 VCCI Class B ITE Compliance Information (Japan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7.3.7 KCC Certification Information (Korea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7.3.8 BSMI Certification Information (Taiwan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7.3.9 C-Tick (Australia and New Zealand) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
7.3.10 Product Environmental Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
System Requirements
Hardware
Minimum requirements for installing a single AMD Radeon HD 6850/6870 graphics
card:
The emphasized numbers in bold are required for registration and free support.
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 Change/Remove.
Use the wizard that appears to remove the current display driver.
4. Turn off the system after the driver has been removed.
Note: If the previously installed graphics card has any additional software
installed, this software may also need to be removed before restarting the
computer. For example, DVD Player or Multimedia applications.
1. With the current graphics card still in the computer, close all open applications.
3. Click Device Manager. If you are using the Category View of the Control Panel,
do one of the following:
➭ For Windows Vista, click System and Maintenance and then Device
Manager.
➭ For Windows 7, click System and Security and then Device Manager
under the System group.
4. Expand Display Adapter and then right-click the driver for the graphics card
you are replacing.
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.
1. Start the computer and then uninstall the old graphics driver.
2. Turn off the computer and then remove the old card.
3. Install the new card and then connect the monitor.
4. Start the computer and then install the new drivers and software.
5. Restart the computer.
1. With the computer off, install the new card and then connect the monitor.
2. Start the computer and then install the new drivers and software.
3. Restart the computer.
2. Unplug the computer's power cord, and then disconnect all cables from the back
of the computer.
Caution:
Wait approximately 20 seconds after unplugging the power cord before
disconnecting a peripheral cable or removing a component from the
motherboard to avoid possible damage to the motherboard.
Note: If necessary, consult the computer manual for help in removing the
cover.
Caution:
Static electricity can seriously damage computer components. Discharge
your body's static electricity by touching the power supply or the metal
surface of the computer chassis before you touch any components inside the
computer's case to avoid damaging them.
4. Unscrew or unfasten and remove any existing graphics card from the computer,
if necessary.
5. Locate the appropriate bus slot and, if necessary, remove the corresponding
metal backplate cover(s). Make sure all internal cables are clear of the slot.
Note: If you cannot find a bus slot to match the card, you need a graphics card
with the correct bus to match the motherboard.
6. Align the graphics card with the slot and press it in firmly until the card is fully
seated.
Tip: The location of power connections may vary between models. They can
be located on either the side or back of the card.
1 Power supply
2 Graphics card
9. Make sure no internal cables are interfering with components inside the
computer (for example, a cooling fan), and then replace the computer cover.
10. Reconnect any cables you have disconnected during installation, and then plug
in the computer's power cord.
If you have properly installed the graphics card, the computer should start normally.
Proceed to install the software and drivers for your AMD Radeon HD 6850/6870
graphics card.
Note: When reinstalling drivers, always uninstall any previous drivers that are on
your system, even if they are for the same graphics card. Always start "fresh."
Note: The installation dialog displays in English if the operating system’s language is
not supported.
Software is provided to both operate and take advantage of all the features of the
graphics card. Software includes:
Note: If the install wizard does not start, navigate to the CD drive and double-
click ATISETUP.exe.
Tip: If the installer fails to install the driver, or you have a software conflict, you can
download the latest software from ati.amd.com/support/driver.html and then
install it.
Display Configurations
The following table lists options for attaching displays that are indirectly supported by
the connections on your graphics card.
For best graphics performance and quality, always use native connections, when
available.
Note: Adapters not provided with your graphics card can be purchased directly from
AMD's Web site or through your local AMD resellers.
If your graphics card includes a DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort connection, you can
the following types of DisplayPort-compliant adapters/dongles with your graphics
card:
The type of adapter/dongle used determines the number of displays that can be
supported by your graphics card. In general, more displays can be supported with
DisplayPort adapters and active dongles than with passive ones.
Note: A list of compatible adapters/dongles for your graphics card can be found at:
http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-dongles.aspx.
Multiple Displays
Your AMD Radeon HD 6850/6870 graphics card provides display functionality for up
to six displays using any combination of the following:
The following table shows some examples of multiple display configurations; (A)
indicates an active adapter is used and (P) indicates a passive adapter is used. Display
abbreviations are mDP = Mini DisplayPort, dDVI = dual-link DVI, sDVI = single-link DVI.
Table 4–2 Sample Display Configurations
Sample Display DVI-D mDP mDP HDMI DVI-I Total
Configuration Connector Connector Connector Connector Connector Output
Using Adapters
The following procedure describes how to connect a display to your graphics card
using an adapter.
2. Plug the adapter into the connection from your AMD Radeon graphics card and
tighten the thumbscrews (if there are any).
3. Connect your display's cable to the adapter and tighten the thumbscrews (if
there are any).
Note: If you are not experiencing any troubles with the display, no adjustments are
necessary.
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.
Caution:
Choosing a refresh rate unsupported by the display may damage it. Consult
the display’s documentation if necessary.
5. Click OK.
Once you have configured the main display you can configure any other displays
that are connected.
Note: The Catalyst Control Center software can also enable and configure
multiple monitors.
Note: When using multiple monitors with the graphics card, one monitor
will always be the primary display, additional monitors will be designated
as secondary.
e. Set the Screen Resolution and Color Quality as appropriate for the second
monitor.
f. Click OK.
Note: Consult your system builder or OEM to ensure that your system has an
adequate power supply.
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.
Caution:
Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the power
supply case or the metal surface of the computer chassis.
Warning:
Some graphics cards can get hot while operating. Wait approximately five
minutes after turning off the computer before touching the card.
5. Locate the PCIe slots on the motherboard. If necessary, also remove the
corresponding back panel cover.
6. Align the new graphics card in the secondary PCIe slot next to the existing
graphics card and press firmly until the card is fully seated.
Tip: The location of power connections may vary between models. They can
be located on either the side or back of the card.
1 Power supply
2 Existing card
3 New card
8. Remove protection tags from the ends of the AMD CrossFire interconnect and
connect the cards.
Caution:
Always handle the AMD CrossFire bridge interconnect by the connector only.
Do not push or pull on the flexible cable.
10. Make sure the cables are not interfering with anything inside the computer (for
example, a cooling fan) and then replace the computer cover.
11. Reconnect any cables you have disconnected and plug in the computer power
cord.
2. Click Configure.
3. From the Graphics Adapter list, select the graphics card to act as the display GPU.
Note: The Choose from the following Rendered GPU combinations drop-
down list automatically populates with all available render GPUs based on the
selected display GPU. The list displays only GPUs that can be enabled for
AMD CrossFireX. Other combinations are not listed here but may be listed on
the CrossFire™ ▷ Diagnostics page.
Note: If the selected combination is not the most optimal choice for your system,
a message appears at the bottom of the page notifying you of this.
6. Click Apply.
Basic View
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.
Custom View
A customized view so that desired features can be accessed quickly.
For information on the individual features of the software, access the comprehensive
in-program help system (see Accessing Catalyst Control Center Help or visit the AMD
Customer Care Web site at http://ati.amd.com/support/).
➭ Press the F1 key at any time to get specific help on the currently displayed
information.
➭ To browse the entire help contents, from either the Help or Options ▷
Help menu, choose Help Contents.
➭ To access AMD's Web site, from either the Help or Options ▷ Help menu,
choose Go to ATI.com.
Troubleshooting
Note: Some troubleshooting tips may not be applicable depending on the display
options supported by and configured for your card.
During software installation on a PC with the Windows Vista OS, the screen goes blank
The software is still installing. Wait 20–30 minutes to make sure the software has
finished installing and then restart the computer.
Note: When disabling AMD CrossFireX you will be given the option to restart your
computer to restore the original graphics memory size or continue with the reduced
memory size.
3D Client is Active
You will not be able to start AMD CrossFireX if a 3D application, game, or video
playback, such as a DVD movie, is running.
Close all open 3D applications, games, and movie player applications, and then enable
AMD CrossFireX.
Also, make sure that the HDTV component video adapter is properly connected.
Customer Care
For detailed instructions on how to use your product, refer to the documentation
included on the installation CD.
To activate Customer Care, you must register your product at ati.amd.com/online/
registration.
If you require further assistance with your product, the following Customer Care
options are available:
AMD Customer Care for Graphics Products will work to resolve your issue and help
you to get your product up and running. If your issue is not resolved, our technicians
will determine whether the difficulty you are experiencing is the result of the product,
whether your product contains a defect, and whether your product is under
warranty.
Caution:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does 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:
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.
Complies with FCC 15.107 and 15.109.
For further compliance information:
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
62 Forest Street
Marlborough, MA 01752
USA Tel: 508-303-3900
Electrical Safety
Europe: The Low Voltage Directive—2006/95/EC
USA/Canada: