General Questions:

Q1. Where can I find drivers for my HIS Excalibur Products?
A.  Most HIS Excalibur Product offer driver updates through our website or the support      contact information that accompanies the product. Check
     driver.php

Q2. How do I get technical support?
A.   Our website providing general product and technical support to our customers.
      For contact information, please visit our web page, contactus.htm

Q3. How do I report my situation and problem?
A.   Please obtain the product serial number (it should be on the back side of the board)       and then go to our website below to report your problem by on-line reporting service.       support.htm

Alternate Operating System Driver Support:

Q4. Where can I get the Linux(xfree86) driver?
A.     ATi do not have their own Linux Driver and that Driver would be developed by 3rd         software developer. You can find Linux driver inforamtion here.
        Alternate operating system support chart.

Product and application

Q5.The installation procedures of PCIe x1 Card on motherboard with on-board         graphic feature:
A.    The answer as follows :

1. Install on-board VGA driver and make sure it works properly.
2. Disable on-board VGA under Device Manager and then reboot the system.
3. Insert PCIe x1 card after disabled the on-board VGA.
4. Install PCIe x1 card driver and reboot system when prompted.
5. Back to enable the on-board VGA after PCIe x1 card work properly, and reboot system when prompted.

Q6.X1K AGP series Direct X unavailable
A.   Recently, we have found out that X1K AGP series would not have DirectX enabled on        some KT400 motherboard when using Catalyst 6.5 or later. This will result a poor        performance or even error when running 3D applications/games.

        Not all KT400 motherboard would have this problem. And not only KT motherboard,         Intel/SIS may have this issue too. The driver fix will be available by October 2006.

        For workaround, please use Catalyst 6.1 driver if you encounters such issue.

        Users are recommended to check if they are affected by this issue. They can go to         "System Information" -> "DirectX Diagnostic Tools" to check if DirectX is available or         not. If not, users should uninstall the current installed display driver and re-install to         use Catalyst 6.1.

         Catalyst 6.1 is available at:

http://download.hightech.com.hk/driver/Radeon_8_205/8.205-060104a-029861C-ATI.zip

          If DirectX is enabled, users/customers do not need to roll back to the old version           driver.

Q7. How to identify "Turbo" edition?
A.    HIS Turbo edition guarantees a dramatic range of overclockable speed on your card.         All IceQ II series come with both Turbo and non Turbo (standard) editions. Check for         the box containing this label. It identifies this is a "Turbo" edition card and marked with         the guaranteed overclocking speed in core and memory.

Q8. How to identify CrossFire Ready?
A.    Most of the HIS X850 and X800 series graphic cards are CrossFire Ready. For more         information, please click here.

Q9. How to identify CrossFire Edition?
A.    HIS CrossFire Editions are separated sold products which can work together with         corresponding CrossFire Ready cards. For more information, please click here.

Q10. How to identify IceQ / IceQ II series fit on my motherboard?
A.      HIS IceQ / IceQ II series occupied double slots space and they suit on most           motherboards available on the market, no matter PCIe or AGP. HIS would like to           provide the approximate size of IceQ II and IceQ series graphic card for users to have           further measurement.

• IceQ II Series - Width: 233mm, Height: 129mm, Depth: 57mm (approx.)
• IceQ Series - Width: 199mm, Height: 127mm, Depth: 49mm (approx.)

Q11. How to identify IceQ series fit on my CrossFire Ready motherboard?
A.      IceQ / IceQ II cards are designed to achieve the ultimate cooling effect, in case their           heatsinks are larger than regular one and occupied more space. When users select           CrossFire ready motherboard, HIS strongly recommends users pick the one contains           2 slots space in between 2 PCIe x16 slots. Beware some CrossFire ready           motherboards only contain 1 slot space in between 2 PCIe x16 slots, these boards           are unable plugged IceQ / IceQ II series graphic cards to run CrossFire. For more           information, please click here.

Q12. The RADEON X1800 XT supports dynamic clocking?
A.      The RADEON X1800 XT is the highest speed variant of the X1800 family with several           unique characteristics. To achieve maximum performance and optimal power           dissipation the XT supports dynamic clocking. The board boots into a low power           mode at 600e/700m core and memory clocks and automatically accelerates to the           standard 625e/750m clocks whenever full screen applications such as games are           running. The X1800 XT also uses an efficient dual-slot fansink.

Q13. What are the requirements of HIS X1900XT and X1900XTX Power Supply?
A.      Power supplies with 450-Watt capacity and 30A current on 12V rail is recommended           for single HIS X1900 series product. It requires a power supply with one 6-pin PCI           Express® power connectors. This product should be connected directly to a PCI-E           Express compliant power supply with 6 pin PCI-E power connection. Please consult           your power supply vendor specifications to ensure your system meets the           recommended functionality.

Q14. What to do if my power supply does not have the 6 pin PCIe plug for connecting           to my X1950 XT ?
A.      You are advised to use power supply that have the 6 pin PCIe connector for           connecting to X1950XT. Power adapter cable that converts the 4 pin power connector           from the power supply to the 6 pin PCIe plug are not recommended. Some power           supply without the 6 pin PCIe plug may not have enough current for the 12V rail and           the card may behave abnormally especially during 3D gaming. This may include           screen corruption, system hang etc.

          X1950XT draws a lot of power from 12V. A single card will require 450-Watt power           supply or greater with 30 Amps on 12 volt rail recommended (assumes fully loaded           system) and for CrossFire™: 550 watt power supply or greater, 38 Amps on 12 volt           rail.

Q15. What are the requirements of CrossFire™ Power Supply?
A.      Power supplies with 450-Watt capacity and 30A current on 12V rail is recommended           for single Radeon® X1900 series product.
          Radeon® X1900 CrossFire configurations (dual graphics card system) requires           550-Watt capacity power supply, with 38A on 12V rail.
          CrossFire™ requires a power supply with two 6-pin PCI Express® power connectors.
          Radeon X1900 series products should be connected directly to a PCI-E Express           compliant power supply with 6 pin PCI-E power connection.
          Please consult your power supply vendor specifications to ensure your system meets           the recommended functionality.
          CrossFire™ configurations require a CrossFire™ compliant motherboard, which           includes two physical x16 PCI Express® slot interfaces.

1. Make sure the system is connected to internet before installation.
2. Insert Disk 1 of Counter-Strike.
3. Counter-Strike Install Menu will pop up. Click “Register to get your CD-Key”.
4. This will divert the user to the “Counter-Strike:ConditionZero™ Registration” page. Enter the required registration information, i.e.
   E-mail Address and Location. Press “Submit” button when completed.
5. User will see the “Thank you for your registration” page when user information submitted successfully. Do not close the window and read the page carefully.
6. An E-mail will send to the submitted E-mail address shortly. In the replied message, follow the instruction by click the link provided. Please read the mail carefully.
7. A “Thank you” message will appear. Close this windows and return to the bonus page(Step 5’s windows).
8. Click “Enter” in the bonus page. The CD key will appear.
9. User can use this CD key to install Counter-Strike:ConditionZero™.
10. Enjoy the game.

          We found the error is caused by a software bug in Powerstrip.

          Bear in mind that different Graphic chip has their own programming methods and           Powerstrip is only a third party software and may have some compatibility problem.

          Actually, for ATI DDR products, the clock should be double to what PowerStrip           mentions. For example, if PowerStrip shows 200MHz, the board should be running at           400MHz. But for Nvidia DDR Products, Powerstrip shows the exact memory clock           speed, 400MHz.

Q18. Why can't we use the driver under the section "Built by ATI" on ATI's web site           for our ATI products?
A.       On ATI's website, there are two sets of drivers, namely, "Built by ATI" and "Powered by           ATI". The former are solely for cards built by ATI herself while the later are for other           manufacturers. These two sets of drivers may detect different sub vendor and sub           system ID that are manufacturer dependent. ATI has designed the drivers and BIOS           as such. Hence, our card can only used the drivers in the "Powered by ATI" Section.           ATI Cards by other manufacturers will have the same situation.

Q19. How can I change the resolution of my 2nd monitor under Windows 98SE?
A.        You can change the display settings of your 2nd monitor as follows :

1. Right click on an open area on the desktop
2. Click "Properties" on the pop up menu
3. Click "Setting"
4. Click "Advanced"
5. Click "Display"
6. Click CRT2 then click "OK"
7. Click the CRT2 icon on the "setting" menu, click "Yes" when prompted
8. Set the resolution and color depth
9. Click "Apply" to activate your setting

          Note : If you want to change the resolution of CRT2 (Secondary display), the system           will stop running at mirror mode, it will run in extend desktop mode instead.

Q20. Is there a way to upgrade the BIOS on my VGA Card?
A.       The BIOS is a very critical component for correct functioning of your VGA card. We do            not recommend users to flash the BIOS themselves because slight difference in            functionality may require a different BIOS completely. Consequently, not all our           graphic produts are equipped with flash ROM. If there is no flash ROM on your VGA           card and you try to flash the BIOS, the flashing utility may sometimes report the           message “EEPROM not compatible”. Please note that if you flash the BIOS incorrectly           at your own risk, your VGA card may function abnormally and we cannot be           responsible for any damages caused.

Q21. How can I change the refresh rate used for my monitor under Window XP?
A.       Please follow the following steps :

1. Right click on an open area of the Windows desktop. Select “Properties” from the drop down menu.
2. Click the “Settings” tab and then click the “Advanced” button.
3. Click the “Monitor” tab and then use the “Screen refresh rate” drop down to select the desired refresh rate.
4. Click “Apply”.
5. If the display appears right, click “Yes”.
6. Click “OK” twice to exit the “Display Properties” panel.

          The maximum refresh rate available is determined by the monitor type detected by           Windows XP.

          Your installation CD may have a copy of DirectX that was current at the time the CD           was created. The most updated copy is always available from Microsoft website.

          Some games may actually allow ATI TRUFORM™ to be rendered in a "software"           mode on hardware which does not directly support ATI TRUFORM™. While this will           add visual appeal, it requires more of the system CPU cycles. This can significantly           reduce a game's frame rate.

          With a product that supports ATI TRUFORM™ in hardware, such as the RADEON           8500, the graphics rendering occurs within the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The           games visual appearance is greatly improved, while having a minimal affect on frame           rates.

          If your graphics adapter does not support ATI TRUFORM™ in hardware, and your           game allows ATI TRUFORM™ to be rendered in software, you may choose to disable           ATI TRUFORM™. Please see the game's documentation for details on disabling ATI           TRUFORM™ support.

Q24. I have bought your ATI graphic card and would like to support multiple monitors.           What is the difference between the Primary and Secondary Display under Window           98?
A.       In Windows 98 the PRIMARY display is the one that displays the LOGO when           Windows starts. This PRIMARY monitor also shows the system BOOT messages.

          In addition to the standard 2D acceleration, the PRIMARY monitor also supports 3D           (via Direct3D) and VIDEO (TV). FULL SCREEN DOS sessions are also locked to the           PRIMARY display.

          The SECONDARY display adapter does NOT support:

• DirectX
• Direct3D
• Multimedia video functions

          Here is a short list of applications you may encounter which will NOT currently           function on a secondary display:

• DVD Playback software
• MPEG Playback software
• Direct3D Games
• Screen savers designed for a single-monitor setup
• Any application that runs in a "fullscreen" mode

          Most of these applications will not function on a secondary display because the           hardware and software features required (Direct3D, DirectDraw video acceleration,           etc.) are ONLY available on the PRIMARY display adapter.

1. Connect the 1 to 4 ways VIVO cable to the VGA card(Male side of VIVO cable).
2. Connect the s-video or composite cable from VCR to the VIVO cable that has an arrow sign pointing to the VGA card(the female side of VIVO cable). Connect either s-video or composite cable only. Do not connect BOTH s-video and composite.
3. Run "Power director" or other software that can do video capture.
4. Start video capture in the software.
5. The video is being played by the VCR should appear on the monitor screen.
6. If no display, select the video-in source within the software to select the source from either s-video or composite.

Q26. How to enable secondary displays in CCC?

A.     The procedure is:

1. Switch off the system and connect the secondary display to VGA(e.g. CRT/TV/DVI). Make sure display driver is installed.
2. Power up the system and boot to Windows.
3. When Windows boot up completed, right click on Windows Desktop and select "ATI CATALYST(R) CONTROL CENTER".
4. Select "Advanced" then press "Next".
5. Follow the on screen instruction to proceed to "Catalyst Control Center" Windows.
6. In "Catalyst Control Center" Windows, select "Display Manager".
7. In "Display Manager", right click the icon in the box of "Attached displays currently disabled:".
8. Select the display mode for the secondary display. There are 4 options available:
   - Clone mode
   - Extend mode
   - Stretch Main Horizontally
   - Stretch Main Verticall
9. Press "Yes" to confirm the setting.

Q27. Can VIVO card support MPEG I and MPEG II?
A.       Rage Theater is able to support both MPEG I and II. However, it requires to have 3rd           party software to operate togaher. Right now, our Power director is able to support           MPEG I for full screen, but small screen for MPEG II only. It will require to have our new           verion of Power Producers to support both in near future.

Q28. Can VIVO card support stereo AC3 sound and Non-Interlaced mode?
A.       Stereo AC3 & Non-Interlaced : This is nothing to do with our card. It comes to the           issue with on board sound chipset or his sound card only for AC3. It would be the           issue of TV set, but not our card.

Q29. Which video software is bundle with VIVO card?
A.       Currently : We are providing Power Director for VIVO features.

Q30. Can VIVO card bundle software, Power Director, have pre-scheduling function?
A.       Power Director does not have pre-scheduling function. He will require ATI AIW           models to have such features. However, it comes with TV tuner.

Q31. How to change the Pal to NTSC or NTSC to Apl by using software?
A.

1. Click "Start"
2. Point to "Setting", then click "Control Panel"
3. Double click "Displays"
4. Click on the "Settings" tab and then the "Advanced" button
5. Click on the "ATi Display" tab.
6. In the "Display" menu, select "TV".
7. In the "TV Properties", select "Format".
8. In this menu, you can select TV format by "country/region" or "Format"
9. Press "Apply" to save the change you have made.

         Note: TV must be attached in order to activite the "TV Properties" menu.

Q32. What is the driver support status for Win98/ME?
A.       Effective March 1, 2004 - commencing with the 7.99 release - ATI will be transitioning           all WinME software support to ATI's Legacy Operating Systems" support model.

          In effect this will mean that the 7.98 release will be the last to include Win98/ME           software support as part of our standard support offering.

Q33. How to cometime the bios?
A.      Cometimes bios need hardware matching but not only the Memory brand and speed.

          Please provide the full model code and our bios part number in following procedures:

          For example in the above picture, the bios part numner showed as 123-SB4H01-0.

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