MSI R5450 series - User Manual

6 5
Insist on the best
MICRO-STAR INT'L CO., LTD.
TEL. 886-2-32345599
http://www.msi.com
6 5
Insist on the best
MICRO-STAR INT'L CO., LTD.
TEL. 886-2-32345599
http://www.msi.com
R5450 series
G52-V2122X2
January 2010
Using MSI Live Update Online
Installing MSI Live Update
MSI Live Update offers you with brand-new update service experience, which can
significantly save your time while searching files. MSI Live Update is capable to
automatically analyze and list drivers, BIOS, and utilities you need. With the easy-to-
use updating approaches, you can increase the performance of your system easily and
quickly. Follow the instructions below, with a few mouse clicks, you can acquire the
related files for the system updating.
MICRO-STAR INT'L
MS-V212
Under the European Union ("EU") Directive on Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment, Directive 2002/96/EC, which takes
effect on August 13, 2005, products of "electrical and electronic
equipment" cannot be discarded as municipal waste anymore and
manufacturers of covered electronic equipment will be obligated
to take back such products at the end of their useful life.
!
CAUTION!!
Do not force the GPU cooler
against the fragile GPU to
avoid damage to the GPU.
WARNING!!
DO NOT touch the cooling
system since it may produce
a certain heat while
processing tasks.
All trademarks used in this manual are the sole property of their respective owners.
VGA is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
R R
R R
Features
Features
1. Insert the supplied disk into the
CD-ROM drive, and start the
Setup program.
2. Click the Utility tab on the setup
screen.
3. Click the MSI Live Update.
Follow the on-screen instructions
to complete the installation.
4. Launch MSI Live Update utility to
proceed the updating function.
Using Live VGA Driver Update
This service enables you to update the latest VGA driver for your VGA card.
1. Click the selection of Live VGA Driver
TM
.
2. Click the green button on the left lower side of the main page to connect to the MSI
Live Update Series Server.
3. The utility will automatically detect and download the latest driver, if available.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the updating procedure.
This service enables you to update the latest VGA BIOS for your VGA card.
1. Live VGA BIOS .
TM
Click the selection of
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to continue the procedures.
3. Click the green button on the left lower side of the main page to connect to the MSI Live
Update Series Server.
4. The utility will automatically detect and download the latest BIOS, if available.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the updating procedure.
Using MSI Live VGA BIOS Update
1. Link to MSI's website at http://www.msi.com
2. Find Live Update Online under the selection of Downloads on the web page.
3. Select CLICK HERE to continue.
4. Select Yes, I would like to try it at my own risk to continue.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the utility downloading and installing
procedures.
6. Enter the page of MSI Live
Update Online [Search
Results]
7. Select the tag of Live VGA
Driver to download and
update the latest VGA driver,
if available.
8. Select the tag of Live VGA
BIOS to download and
update the latest VGA BIOS,
if available.

Summary

MSI Live Update Software

Installing MSI Live Update

Guide to installing the MSI Live Update utility from the supplied disk.

Using Live VGA Driver Update

Instructions to update the latest VGA driver using MSI Live Update.

Using MSI Live VGA BIOS Update

Instructions to update the latest VGA BIOS using MSI Live Update.

MSI Live Update Online

Using MSI Live Update Online

Steps to download and install MSI Live Update Online from the web.

Product Overview and Requirements

Unpacking and System Requirements

Checks for complete product items and lists minimum system requirements for installation.

Card Features

Details technological features of the graphics card like DirectX 11 and ATI Eyefinity.

Quick Installation Guide

Step-by-step instructions for hardware installation and software driver setup.

Enabling HDMI Output

Instructions on how to connect and enable the HDMI output function.

Overview

1. Function Description
2. Usage Features
3. Maintenance Features

This document describes the MSI R5450 series graphics card, focusing on its functions, usage features, and maintenance capabilities.

Function Description

The MSI R5450 series graphics card is designed to enhance the visual performance of a computer system. It serves as a dedicated processing unit for graphics, offloading this task from the main CPU to deliver smoother visuals, higher resolutions, and improved overall system responsiveness, especially for demanding applications like gaming, video editing, and multimedia playback. The card supports various display output options, including HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub, allowing for flexible connectivity to different monitors and displays. It is built to be compatible with Windows 7 and other operating systems, ensuring broad usability.

Usage Features

The MSI R5450 series graphics card integrates several advanced technologies to optimize visual output and user experience.

Image Quality Enhancement Technology: This technology focuses on delivering superior visual fidelity. It includes features like:

• Enhanced Unified Video Decoder (UVD): This decoder is designed to provide smooth playback of high-definition content, including Blu-ray and HD DVD, with minimal CPU utilization. It supports various video formats and ensures crisp, clear images.
• Dynamic Contrast Enhancement: This feature automatically adjusts the contrast levels of the display in real-time, enhancing the depth and richness of colors, particularly in scenes with both bright and dark areas.
• Color Vibrance and Gamma Control: These controls allow users to fine-tune the color saturation and gamma levels to achieve their preferred visual settings, making images appear more vivid or natural according to individual taste.
• Dynamic Range Control: This feature helps in optimizing the display of content with varying light levels, ensuring that details are preserved in both highlights and shadows.

Performance Enhancement Technology: The card incorporates technologies aimed at boosting its processing power and efficiency:

• ATI Stream Technology: This technology leverages the GPU's parallel processing capabilities to accelerate tasks beyond traditional graphics rendering. It can be used for general-purpose computing, significantly speeding up applications that benefit from parallel processing, such as video transcoding, scientific simulations, and image manipulation.
• ATI PowerPlay™ Technology: This intelligent power management system dynamically adjusts the GPU's clock speed and voltage based on the workload. This helps in reducing power consumption and heat generation during less demanding tasks, while providing full performance when needed.
• ATI CrossFireX™ Technology: This feature allows users to combine multiple ATI graphics cards in a single system to achieve significantly higher graphics performance. This is particularly beneficial for high-end gaming and professional applications that require extreme visual processing power.
• Unified Shader Architecture: This architecture allows the GPU to efficiently process different types of shader operations (vertex, geometry, and pixel shaders) using a single pool of processing units. This improves the GPU's flexibility and efficiency in rendering complex scenes.
• DirectX® 11 Support: The card fully supports DirectX® 11, the latest graphics API from Microsoft. This enables the card to render advanced visual effects, including tessellation, multi-threading, and compute shaders, providing a more immersive and realistic gaming experience.
• OpenGL 3.2 Support: Support for OpenGL 3.2 ensures compatibility with a wide range of professional graphics applications and games that utilize this open-source graphics API.
• Shader Model 5.0: This feature allows for more complex and realistic lighting and shading effects in games and applications, enhancing visual fidelity.
• High-Speed 40nm Process Technology: The GPU is manufactured using a 40nm process, which allows for a higher transistor density, leading to improved performance and power efficiency compared to older manufacturing processes.
• 260 Million Transistors: The high transistor count indicates the complexity and processing power of the GPU, enabling it to handle demanding graphics tasks efficiently.

Connectivity and Output: The card provides versatile output options:

• HDMI Connector: For high-definition audio and video output to compatible displays, TVs, and receivers.
• DVI Connector: For digital video output to DVI-compatible monitors.
• D-Sub Connector: For analog video output to older VGA monitors.
• PCI Express Interface: The card connects to the motherboard via a PCI Express x16 slot, ensuring high-bandwidth communication for optimal performance.

Maintenance Features

The MSI R5450 series graphics card incorporates several features and utilities designed to simplify maintenance and ensure optimal performance over time.

MSI Live Update Utility: This is a crucial tool for keeping the graphics card's software up-to-date.

• Automatic Detection and Listing: The MSI Live Update utility automatically analyzes the system and lists the necessary drivers, BIOS updates, and other utilities specific to the installed MSI hardware. This eliminates the need for users to manually search for updates, saving time and effort.
• Easy-to-Use Updating Approaches: The utility provides a straightforward interface for downloading and installing updates. With just a few clicks, users can acquire the latest files to enhance system performance and stability.
• Live VGA Driver Update: This specific function allows users to update the VGA driver to the latest version. By connecting to the MSI Live Update Series Server, the utility automatically detects and downloads the newest driver, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance with the latest games and applications.
• Live VGA BIOS Update: Similar to driver updates, this feature enables users to update the VGA BIOS. Keeping the BIOS updated can resolve compatibility issues, improve stability, and sometimes unlock new features or performance enhancements for the graphics card. The utility connects to the server, detects the latest BIOS, and guides the user through the installation process.

Online Live Update: For users who prefer to manage updates through a web browser, MSI provides an online Live Update service.

• Web-Based Access: Users can visit the MSI website and access the Live Update Online section.
• Guided Process: The online service guides users through the process of identifying and downloading necessary updates, including VGA drivers and BIOS files. This is particularly useful for initial setup or when the Live Update utility is not yet installed.

Physical Maintenance Considerations: While the software tools handle updates, some physical considerations are also important for the longevity and performance of the graphics card.

• Cooling System: The card features a cooling system designed to dissipate heat generated by the GPU. It is important not to obstruct the airflow around the cooling system to prevent overheating, which can lead to performance degradation or damage. The manual explicitly warns against touching the cooling system during operation as it can become hot.
• GPU Cooler Handling: Users are cautioned not to force the GPU cooler against the fragile GPU. Proper handling during installation or maintenance is essential to avoid physical damage to the card.
• Environmental Compliance: The product adheres to the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), indicating that it should not be discarded as municipal waste. This encourages responsible recycling and disposal practices at the end of the product's useful life, contributing to environmental protection.

By utilizing the MSI Live Update utility and following basic physical maintenance guidelines, users can ensure their MSI R5450 series graphics card remains up-to-date, performs optimally, and has an extended lifespan.

MSI R5450 series Specifications

General

Core Clock	650 MHz
Memory Clock	800 MHz
Memory Interface	64-bit
GPU	AMD Radeon HD 5450
Memory	1GB DDR3
Outputs	DVI, HDMI
DirectX Support	DirectX 11
OpenGL Support	OpenGL 3.2