AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics User Guide Part Number: 54243_enu_1.
ii © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices Inc. All rights reserved. Disclaimer The information contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is subject to change without notice. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, it may contain technical inaccuracies, omissions and typographical errors, and AMD is under no obligation to update or otherwise correct this information. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
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 AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Contents Chapter 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1.1 Requirements for Single-card Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi 7.1 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7.1.1 Graphics Card Installation Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7.1.
Chapter 1 Getting Started Before you begin installing your new AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 graphics card, please make sure you have the proper system requirements and have completed the required preinstallation tasks as outlined in this chapter. 1.1 System Requirements 1.1.1 Requirements for Single-card Installations Minimum requirements for installing a single AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 graphics card: • PCI Express® based PC with one ×16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard.
2 Getting Started 1.1.2 Requirements for AMD CrossFire™ Technology Minimum requirements for installing an additional graphics card for AMD CrossFire configuration: • AMD CrossFire certified motherboard. For an up-to-date listing of AMD CrossFire certified motherboards, see support.amd.com/us/certified/ Pages/certified-components.aspx. • A second AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 graphics card. • One AMD CrossFire internal bridge interconnect per additional board (included).
Getting Started 3 1.3 Uninstalling 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 Change/Remove. Use the wizard that appears to remove the current display driver. 4.
4 Getting Started AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation This chapter details how to install the AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 graphics card in your system. 2.1 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. 2.1.1 Replacing an Existing Card If you are replacing an existing graphics card, you need to: 1.
6 Hardware Installation 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. 3. Remove the cover to the computer's case. Note: If necessary, consult the computer manual for help in removing the cover.
Hardware Installation 7 Figure 2–1 Possible Power Connection Locations on the Graphics Card 1 Power supply 2 Graphics card 8. Fasten the graphics card securely to the back panel. 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. 11. Turn on the monitor, and then the computer.
8 Hardware Installation AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Chapter 3 Software Installation This chapter describes the installation of the software and drivers associated with your AMD Radeon product. 3.1 AMD Drivers and Software Drivers are small but important programs that enable an operating system to communicate with a piece of hardware, such as a graphics card. When you install a new graphics card, you must also install the driver and configuration software the card requires to function properly.
10 Software Installation 2. From the menu that appears, click Software Install. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions. When prompted, select either Express or Custom . Not all software components are installed using the Express installation. Custom installation allows you to select individual software components for installation. Tip: If the installer fails to install the driver, or you have a software conflict, you can download the latest software from support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/ index.
Chapter 4 Display Configuration This section describes how to configure displays and lists available display connections for your graphics card. 4.1 AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Connections The following figure shows the display connections available on your AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 graphics card. Note: The baseplate may not appear exactly as depicted. Figure 4–1 AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Display Connections 1, 2 Mini DisplayPort (DP+) connection.
12 Display Configuration 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.
Display Configuration 13 Table 4–2 Sample Display Configurations Sample Display Configuration DVI-I Connector mDP Connector mDP Connector HDMI Connector Total Output 6×mDP - Native (×6) - - 6 DVI, 2×mDP, 2×mDP Native Native (×2) Native (×2) - 5 2×mDP, VGA, HDMI - Native (×2) mDP to VGA (A) Native 4 DVI, 2×mDP, HDMI - mDP to DVI (A) Native (×2) Native 4 DVI, HDMI, mDP, HDMI Native mDP to DVI (A) Native Native 4 DVI, mDP, mDP Native Native Native - 3 DVI, DVI, VGA Nat
14 Display Configuration 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. 5. Click OK. Once you have configured the main display you can configure any other displays that are connected. 6. To configure another display, do the following: a. Right-click on the desktop and, in the shortcut that appears, click Properties.
Chapter 5 AMD CrossFire™ Technology Note: These features are only available for AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 graphics cards with AMD CrossFire™ connections. 5.1 AMD CrossFire™ Overview AMD CrossFire is a multi-GPU (graphics processing unit) performance gaming platform. It enables multiple graphics processors installed in a single computer to work together to improve system performance, creating a high-performance gaming platform. A typical AMD CrossFire setup involves two graphics cards.
16 AMD CrossFire™ Technology Caution: Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the power supply case or the metal surface of the computer chassis. 4. Remove any unneeded graphics cards from the computer. 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.
AMD CrossFire™ Technology 17 3. Select Enable CrossFire. Note: The Choose from the following Rendered GPU combinations dropdown 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 CrossFire. Other combinations are not listed here but may be listed on the AMD CrossFire Diagnostics page. 4. From the list, select the appropriate combination.
18 AMD CrossFire™ Technology AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Chapter 6 Using the Control Center Software 6.1 Control Center Overview The Control Center software application contains settings for configuring and finetuning your AMD product. Use it to manage desktops and displays, optimize your graphics processor for enhanced 3D application and video quality, and configure your CPU for improved power savings or system performance.
20 Using the Control Center Software Table 6–1 Control Center Access Routes in Windows® Access Route Instructions Windows Start Screen 1. On the Windows Start screen, open App commands and then tap or click All apps. 2. Click the Control Center tile. Windows Desktop 1. Right-click anywhere on the desktop. 2. From the shortcut menu that appears, click the Control Center option. Windows Start Menu 1. Click Start on the Windows task bar. 2. Click All Programs followed by the Control Center option.
Using the Control Center Software 21 The help system opens to provide context-sensitive help for the current page or general usage information. © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
22 Using the Control Center Software AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Chapter 7 Reference The following section offers troubleshooting tips and provides customer care, warranty, and compliance information. 7.1 Troubleshooting Note: Some troubleshooting tips may not be applicable depending on the display options supported by and configured for your card. 7.1.1 Graphics Card Installation Troubleshooting For more advanced troubleshooting information, contact AMD Customer Care at http://support.amd.com. 7.1.1.1 The graphics card doesn't fit any of the motherboard slots.
24 Reference • Install a different graphics card. If there are no display issues, then the graphics card in question may be defective. • If your motherboard has on-board graphics capabilities, you may need to disable them. Consult your motherboard documentation for more information. Note: Some manufacturers do not allow the on-board graphics to be disabled or to become the secondary display.
Reference 25 Clicking OK to the memory mismatch error message will restart your computer. Note: When disabling AMD CrossFire you will be given the option to restart your computer to restore the original graphics memory size or continue with the reduced memory size. 7.1.2.3 Card Reversal Recommended A recommendation message to reverse the graphics card positions may appear if the primary graphics card is not installed into the primary PCIe slot.
26 Reference 7.1.3 HDTV Adapter Troubleshooting The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems with HDTV. More troubleshooting information can be found on the AMD Web site. Please visit http://support.amd.com. 7.1.3.1 There is a black border around the TV when using an HDMI™ connection. Try adjusting the overscan/underscan of the TV. For more information, see knowledgebase article GPU-72: Unable to Adjust a Digital Display to Match the Resolution of the Desktop. 7.1.3.
Reference 27 7.2 Customer Care The AMD Customer Care Web site has number of helpful resources, including a knowledgebase of FAQs and the AMD Radeon Workstation Graphics Web Ticket Submission Page. The Web site is complimentary and available at all times. The address is http:// support.amd.com. 7.2.1 Contact Information If you experience difficulties with your AMD Radeon™ product, you can contact AMD Customer Care in the following ways.
28 Reference 7.3.1 FCC Compliance Information (USA) Class A This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following 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. Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Reference 29 Caution: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. FCC 15, Subpart B, Class B For further compliance information: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 1 AMD Place P.O. Box 3453 Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3453 USA Tel: 408-749-4000 7.3.2 Industry Canada Compliance Statement (Canada) Class A This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
30 Reference 7.3.4 Electrical Safety Europe: The Low Voltage Directive–2006/95/EC • EN 60950-1–Safety of Information Technology Equipment USA/Canada: • UL 60950-1 (Information Technology Equipment–Safety—Part 1: General Requirements) • CSA C22.2 No.
Reference 31 Translation: This is a Class B product based on the standard of the VCCI Council. If this is used near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment, it may cause radio interference. Install and use the equipment according to the instruction manual. VCCI V-3 7.3.
32 Reference Translation: "Class B" Equipment (Household purpose info/telecommunications equipment) As this equipment has undergone EMC registration for household purpose, this product can be used in any area including residential area. KN22 and KN24 7.3.
Reference 33 7.3.8 C-Tick (Australia and New Zealand) ACMA — Australian Communications and Media Authority • Radiocommunications Act 1992 (Australia)—per notices of section 182 • AS/ NZS CISPR 22 7.3.9 Product Environmental Compliance This product may carry a marking similar to those below that indicates its level of compliance with China RoHS standards. For information on China RoHS, EU RoHS, or EU REACH compliance, please refer to Product Environmental Compliance on the AMD Web site. 7.3.
34 Reference AMD Radeon™ R9 270X/R9 270 Graphics © 2014 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
