Ask Me Help Desk - Graphic card advice.

AsRock Support > AsRock G31M-S motherboard > Main Support page,

ASRock > Products > G31M-S

In the link above left-click on the photo of the motherboard. The view of the motherboard that is shown, is turned 90 degrees to the right, in comparison to how it actually sits in your computer case.

The two long white PCI slots are to the Left, processor socket to the Right, (LGA775), and RAM slots (2, and Yellow) are to the Bottom.

Installed in your computer case the processor socket is to the Top, RAM slots to the Right, and white PCI slots are to the Bottom.

Example of a PCI expansion slot,

Conventional PCI - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Click on the photo at the upper right to enlarge )

Right above the two white PCI slots is the PCI-Express x16 slot. It is also white, BUT longer in length.
This is where the AMD ATI Radeon HD5670 graphics card will go.

You have to line up the graphics card's gold plated contact pins, with the PCI-Express x16 slot.
You will also be lining up the graphics card's mounting bracket, with the computer case metal framework, at the same time.

Left-click on the view of the motherboard again. (Takes you back to the main support page)
To the left at the top you will see a small chart. (Products/ Motherboard Series/ G31M-S/ etc)

I would like you to click on - Manual

On the next page go down to the line that states - User Manual / English, and click on - Click Here- for the country nearest yours.

A PDF file will come up. The motherboard manual, (User Manual) is in PDF file format.

(The computer you are using now has Adobe Reader on it, which uses PDF files. If your computer doesn't have it, I would recommend upgrading to the Adobe Reader X { 10 } version )

You may just see a solid line through the middle, with two angle brackets on each side of it.
Move your mouse towards the bottom/middle. The ghosted out menu will now appear.
Go all the way to the right, and click on the Adobe PDF icon.
(When your mouse is hovering above it, - Show Adobe Toolbar - will appear briefly )

[ You may wish to reduce the view size. At the top of the PDF file is the Zoom In icon, and the Zoom Out icon.
Zoom In ( + ) increase the view. Zoom Out ( - ) decreases the view ]

At the top of the PDF file is the page number box. It is to the Right of the Down Arrow.
Go to Page 10.
Number 24 shows the PCI-Express x16 slot. PCIE2

NOTE*
Number 25 points to a PCI-Express expansion slot also. PCIE1
It is a PCI-Express x1 slot, and is NOT used for a graphics card.

BEFORE beginning to install:

Install the DRIVERS FIRST.
Computer running, Windows loaded. Put the graphics card's Installation CD disk in the computer's optical drive.
Install ALL of the software. [ Drivers, and user interface. (ATI Catalyst Control Center) ]

THEN physically install the graphics card.

When a device, (In this example a graphics card) is installed, Windows 'breaks it's neck' to find suitable drivers.
If THE drivers are not there, Windows will match up one of it's THOUSANDS of generic drivers.

This = No.

Then you come along, and install the software. Now you may get a Driver Conflict.
Windows: "Which drivers do I use? These or THESE? "

Installing the graphics card's software, will also set BIOS Setup to the proper setting.
(In BIOS Setup the Onboard VGA option will be disabled, and PCI-Express will be Enabled )

[ NOTE*
NO,. you CANNOT use the motherboard VGA port, AND a graphics card's port, at the same time.
You can ONLY use the motherboard VGA port, OR the graphics card's port.

Want to use dual monitor configuration? Use the VGA port (Blue), AND the white DVI port, on the graphics card.

ATI Radeon? HD 5670 Graphics

They make adapters for the VGA port to adapt to DVI,

Flat Panel Display Video Adapter, HD15 Male-to-DVI Female-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com

NOTE*
The flat LCD screen monitor has a MALE DVI connector, on it's DVI monitor cable.
The blue VGA port on the graphics card is FEMALE.
The adapter has to be FEMALE DVI to MALE VGA.

BEFORE physically installing the graphics card:
FOLLOW Anti-Static Precautions.

Anti-Static Precautions:
Your body carries Static electricity. Static WILL fry out (Short Circuit) the delicate hardware components inside a computer.

Relieve your body of Static, BEFORE reaching inside your computer, AND before taking that graphics card out of it's anti-static bag, or carton.

Computer on a table, computer Unplugged from power, computer case open.
TOUCH the metal frame (Unpainted) of the open computer case.
This action will relieve your body of Static.

IF you leave your computer in the middle of working on it, be SURE to Touch the metal frame again, upon your return.

[ Using a dual monitor configuration:
The monitor you have been using is the Primary monitor. The monitor you will be adding is the Secondary monitor.

Monitors connected to power, monitors connected to graphics card.
Secondary monitor OFF, Primary monitor ON.
Turn the computer on.

After Windows has loaded;
Right-click on an empty area of your desktop screen. Go to the bottom, and click on Properties.

In the Display Properties window click on the Settings tab.
Here you will see a monitor 1 icon, and a monitor 2 icon.
Monitor 1 icon is the Primary monitor.
Monitor 2 icon is the Secondary monitor icon.

Turn the Secondary monitor ON.
Left-click on the monitor 2 icon.
Scroll down to the left/bottom side with your eyes. Left-click on the empty square next to -
Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.

Now go to the bottom right, and left-click on - Apply
Finally go to the bottom left, and click on OK.

Your desktop screen will now be on your Secondary monitor.

A note about placement. Generally the Primary monitor sets to the Left, Secondary monitor sets to the Right.
This is how it is placed in the Display Properties window.

IF your Secondary monitor is on the Left side, drag the monitor 2 icon to the Left side, in the Display Properties window. (Left-click on the monitor 2 icon. Hold the left mouse button down. Drag the monitor 2 icon over to the left side of the monitor 1 icon)

There is a reason for this. Reason will follow.
Start with the internet on both monitors.

Open your internet browser. It will appear on the Primary monitor. (Monitor 1)
Go to the far right side, to the blue framework.
As your mouse cursor touches the blue edge, it will turn into a double-sided arrow.

WHEN it is a double-sided arrow, (It's a little difficult to keep it as a double-sided arrow ), left-click, and hold the left mouse button down.
Drag it over to the right.

The browser window will stretch over to the Secondary monitor. (Monitor 2)
(Doesn't move? Your monitor placement is wrong. Go to the far Left side. Drag it over )

I'm using an HP 2009m 20-inch widescreen as my Primary monitor.
Using a Philips 26-inch widescreen HDTV (EN-V) as a Secondary monitor.
I have drug the internet browser over to the secondary monitor. The entire internet browser window.
Click on the blue framework at the TOP, and drag it over. Resize to fit

Just one example of usage of dual monitors.

Screen resolution is wrong for the Secondary monitor? If new, the monitor you are adding comes with an Installation CD disk. This disk has the Drivers on it. Just install all the software, and the drivers will be automatically installed.

A monitor has a NATIVE screen resolution. For example my HP 2009m's native screen resolution is 1600 x 900 pixels.
The secondary monitor's (Philips EN-V) is different.

With the drivers installed you can change the screen resolution for the secondary monitor. This way it will operate with a screen resolution that is Not native, but will work best ]

Concerned that the AMD ATI Radeon HD5670 uses GDDR5 graphics RAM, and your AsRock motherboard uses DDR2 Sdram RAM?

Concerned that the two RAM technologies will not work together?

DON'T be.

A graphics card's processor (G.P.U.), and graphics RAM, operates independent of the system resources. (Processor and RAM on motherboard is the System Resources)

This is why a dedicated graphics card is better than Integrated Graphics.

Integrated Graphics borrows from the system resources

For additional questions please post.

Regards,
joecoolvette