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Intel DG45FC Set-up Information |
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Intel® Desktop Board DG45FC Product Guide contains complete information on
motherboard features and settings
Intel® Desktop Board DG45FC Product Guide [PDF]
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Intel® Desktop Board DG45FC Technical Product Specification has important
specifications on memory and operating system support
DG45FC Technical Product Specification [PDF]
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The Desktop Board Specification Update has updated chipset thermal
specifications
DG45FC Desktop Board Specification Update [PDF]
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System Memory |
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The type of system memory is very important for video playback performance.
Since the MB does not use a separate video card, part of the system memory
is utilized for graphic processing. For Blu-ray playback you must use a
minimum of 2GB DDR2-800 configured in dual-channel mode. Do not use memory
with different speed ratings or timings and try to adjust them in the
BIOS, doing so may leave the MB unable to boot. For best performance, use memory
with a timing of
5-5-5, using 4-4-4 is not supported and could cause problems. It is best to leave the BIOS memory
timings set to AUTO and use the correct type of memory listed below. |
- 1.8 V DDR2 SDRAM DIMMs
- Dual channel interleaved mode support
- Unbuffered, single-sided or double-sided DIMMs with the following
restriction:
Double-sided DIMMs with x16 organization are not supported.
- 4 GB maximum total system memory using DDR2 800 or DDR2 667 DIMMs
- Non-ECC DIMMs
- Serial Presence Detect
- DDR2 800 MHz or DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM DIMMs
- DDR2 667 MHz DIMMs with SPD timings of only 5-5-5 (tCL-tRCD-tRP)
- DDR2 800 MHz DIMMs with SPD timings of only 5-5-5 or 6-6-6 (tCL-tRCD-tRP)
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Operating System and Software |
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In order to utilize Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) the operating
system must have driver support. DVMT allows 2GB or more of the system
memory to be used for graphics performance. Currently only Microsoft Windows®
Vista offers support for DVMT. Windows XP will not allow you to
utilize the full potential of the G45 Express Chipset. To get the best
Blu-ray and DVD playback performance, a player with support for hardware
acceleration must be used. Make sure hardware acceleration has been enabled
in the player set up options. There are three players that have been optimized
for the G45 Express Chipset:
- CyberLink PowerDVD 8 Ultra
- COREL WinDVD 9 Plus
- ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre
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Motherboard BIOS and Chipset Drivers |
It is important to use the latest BIOS and chipset drivers to get the highest
performance and ensure you have access to all the latest features and
options. Visit the
Intel Download Center to get all the latest updates for the DG45FC. The
most important drivers to keep up to date for video performance are:
- Motherboard BIOS Update
- Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver
- Chipset INF Update Utility
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Getting the best Blu-ray playback performance |
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Refer to the
Optimization Guidelines for Intel® G45 Express Chipset. This document
contains information on obtaining the best video playback experience from
the Intel G45 Express Chipset. It lists minimum system requirements and
supported playback software.
Intel G45 Optimization Guide [PDF]
Blu-ray
disc playback with the Intel® G45 Express Chipset FAQ
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Advanced Video Settings |
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With the installation of the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver, the advanced display
properties dialog box will be updated to use the Intel version shown below.
Custom
Modes Addition feature FAQ |
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Many of us require the use of custom resolutions to work with our displays
and projectors. PowerStrip is a good utility for this, unfortunately it does
not work properly with the G45 Express Chipset. Intel has provided a means
to create custom resolutions by way of their
Custom Modes Addition feature.
WARNING! Use of the Custom Modes
Addition feature requires knowledge of your monitor’s supported timing
standards and detailed timing parameters. Do not attempt to guess at the
numbers or you can damage your display.
There are several types of utilities available to help determine the
proper timing for your display. Since I already had custom resolutions set up
using PowerStrip on my older XP system, I wrote down all the timing numbers
that I had set in PowerStrip and used those same numbers with the Custom
Modes Addition feature.
The Custom Modes button is not available by default in Vista. In order to
use the Custom Modes button, you will need to modify the registry. I found
information to enable the Modes button in this
thread on the AVSforums. Modifying the registry is something only
advanced users should try to perform. A back-up of the system and files
should be made first.
This is how I enabled the Custom Modes button in Vista:
- Search the registry for "igfxcfg" (there are lots of them, only stop at
the one that has a sub-directory named "Resources")
- Within the sub-directory "Resources", delete the key entitled "4571"
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