9800GTX please help please!!!!!

[gotrice]

Hey, I just recently purchased a graphics card from newegg and its on its way. Its the 9800GTX.

I got a PSU that is 500Watts (I hope its good enough for this card)

My specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 OC to 3.0GHz
Asus P5W DH-Deluxe
2x2 GB OCZ Reaper Edition RAM
PSU 500Watts

Now my question is I just realized that the graphics card uses 4 power connectors of 4 pin PSU connectors. My problem is I only got one 4 pin PSU connector left on my power supply. I was wondering if there is a way I can buy like a 4 pin extender that would give me four extra 4 pin power connectors to connect my graphics card. Or am I looking at buying a new power supply with extra 4 pin power connectors?

Please help me!!!! It would be nice if I can just get the extender that way I wouldn't have to spend extra 100 bucks on a new power supply since I don't have the money for that.

 

[gotrice]

I think its 2 x 6 Pin connector I am sorry I have not installed a graphics card using power connectors before.

 

[Laserman1]

hi

To supply this videocard in power your gonna need this:

http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1265&ID=1543

or
http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1265&ID=1544


these are psu that you add to your exsisting psu .

Im not quit sure what you are talking about as far as an "extender" but if your saying to split that last 4 pin conector in to 4 ,to supply your card, well thats not gonna work.




regards
Laserman

 

[lx_flier]

Yes the 9800 is 2 x 6 pin connectors and most of them come with 2x 2 molex to 6 pin converter so you would just use those and you will be fine, that is if your power supply provides enough power

 

[Zenthar]

Your PSU doesn't have 1 PCI-E (6 pin connector), in that case you would only need 2 more molex? A 500W power supply, if of a very good brand, could probably supply a 9800GTX. What is the exact brand and model of your PSU?

No, you cannot just split a molex in 2 just to put them back in as a single PCI-E plug, there is a reason why it's 2 molex for 1 PCI-E. It might work at first, but the wires or PSU could overheat and cause dammage. You probably could use a splitter on less demanding components like HDD and DVD to free-up a molex.

 

[jitpublisher]

Yes the 9800 is 2 x 6 pin connectors and most of them come with 2x 2 molex to 6 pin converter so you would just use those and you will be fine, that is if your power supply provides enough power

Right on. The card will come all the adapters and connectors you need.
Whether or not your PSU is going to supply enough power, that is another discussion.

 

[gotrice]

The company is NZXT PP500. I was wondering if I could do what Zenthar said, like freeing one molex from the DVD rom and use it for my graphics card since I already got one molex free, than that'll be 2 free molex plus my power supply is 500Watts isn't that be good enough to power this card up. Would that work?

Edited: I think it should work because I just found 2 more 6 pin connectors hidden in the back of the case. Meaning I have total of 3 x 6 pin connectors free to use.

 

[gotrice]

Here is a better way of putting it:



Now the red circle shows that I have two of those available to use, and on the top right you can see that a 6 pin connector comes with the graphics card package. In the yellow you can see I have one 6 pin connector for pci-e available through the power supply. Now I also post a spec on my power supply on the bottom left of the picture.

If I use those two 4-pin molex that I have available to make a 6-pin molex and use the other 6-pin molex that came with the power supply, would that work? Or is it just better to get a new power supply over all. I am not looking to go SLI here. If anyone can please tell me if my current psu would work with the way I want it, and if not what psu would you guys recommend for me to buy?

 

[jitpublisher]

For the good news, you are good to hook up exactly like you have shown.
For the bad news, I did some reading in the Nvidia forums. Your PSU only supplies about 21 amps on the 12 volt rails combined, and only sustains 60% effeciency under full load. Not very good.
The 9800 requires 24 amps combined on the 12 volt rail. While your PSU may indeed work with you new 9800, it appears on paper, and in the Nvidia forums that this PSU is not up to the task you are going to ask of it.

 

[Zenthar]

For the bad news, I did some reading in the Nvidia forums. Your PSU only supplies about 21 amps on the 12 volt rails

How did you get the 21A? On NZXT's website they say the max combined output for the +12A is 396W (33A).

 

[gotrice]

If thats the case can you please tell me of a good PSU that I can buy, because I am not sure which one I should go with.

Also I read on NZXT's website for the PP500:

(3) The maximum continuous load on +5V and +3.3V and +12V outputs shall not exceed 480 W.

When I used the PSU Calculator it shows that with the stuff I've connected it will be using 486 W.

Maybe I can disconnect my floppy drive since I don't use it at all.


Edited: Actually I missed calculated my calculations, with all the things I have connected to my computer and using this card I will be using 430 W at max or something around there. Also the NZXT's website says that the PP500:

DC Output Voltage - Regulation - Min.Current - Max.Current - Total & Combined
+12V1DC ?5% 1.0A 16A 192W, 396W, 500W



Another Edited: I think this is what you were talking about jitpublisher...

The card requires 22A total. And you can`t ALWAYS just add up the two rails together. What you need to know is what the max sustainable output current ( A ) is for the +12V rail/s. The link you provided states 396 W but this seems like a peak load not a max load.
http://www.nzxt.com/products/pp500/
The 396W is a number that shows the PSU at 100% efficiency. I`m quite sure the actual numbers are much lower . The info in that link also states 65% efficiency for that PSU. So 396W x 0.65 = 257.4W ! Now divide that by 12V and you will have a realistic max Amp rating for that PSU . So, 257.4 / 12V = 21.45A .
It seems that this PSU ispossibly half an Amp short of 22A or at least something very close to it.
I never trust a PSU that doesn`t clearly state the maxA and +12W, AND the peak wattage. For example my PSU`s peak is 620W , but the max sustainable is 505W total . I hope this helps you understand your PSU a little better.

by Sonny from Nvidia forums.

 

[gotrice]

Now my last question is that is there a possibility that I would connect the molex wrong and fry my computer?

 

[Shadow703793]

^Not if you practically force the molex in the wrong way.

 

[gotrice]

Well, if something doesn't go in a certain connection why would I force it to get in?

 

[Zenthar]

... a friend of mine, wanting to upgrade his PC for Everquest, found a way to force DDR memory the wrong way and fried it (can't remember if the board fried to).

So why? Sheer determination

 

[gotrice]

LOL, forcing a DDR memory umm now u should be intelligent enough to know if its not going in than you doing it wrong. What I'm asking is that are there any possibility that I connect one 4-pin from one rail and the other 4-pin from another rail to make a 6-pin molex, would that be a trouble?

 

[Demonic Goldfish]

... a friend of mine, wanting to upgrade his PC for Everquest, found a way to force DDR memory the wrong way and fried it (can't remember if the board fried to).

So why? Sheer determination

...HOW?

 

[Zenthar]

He just crushed the plastic "bridge" preventing you from doing what he did

 

[gotrice]

Since, I never done this before. I mean the installation of a graphics card with power connectors, it seems like it would wise to just take it to a person who knows how to do it. I don't wanna fry anything plus I don't have the money to replace the parts, nor I wanna go through the headache of running tests to find out which part I've fried. But thanks for the advice I'll make sure I don't do something stupid.

 

[gotrice]

Well, I end up buying a new 700Watts power supply and now everything is good .

 

[mr_anthrope]

Alright, I guess I need to revive this topic.
So here I am, having booked my shiny new XFX 9800GTX, and I go online to happily read more great reviews and dream about finally playing Crysis on my PC, thinking about how it was worth breaking my limited bank
...and now I come across this.
So I opened up my CPU, and I see thus. I have a 500W PowerSafe PSU, which the documentary says provides a maximum of 480W, and there's two figures that have 12V and a 17.5A corresponding to them.
Also, I see that the PSU doesnt seem to have a 6 pin connector at all. Perhaps I need to look again.
I see also that I have four Molex connectors free (that is, two sets of wires with the two connectors attached to the same wire)
I know that the card comes with two 4-pin to 6-pin converters, so theoretically, I should be good to go.
I'm really on a short budget here, so my questions are thus:
Will it be possible to run this card given my scenario, with a decent amount of effieciency? Will I end up damaging my hardware in any way? Will there be a significant drop in performance due to aforesaid conditions?

Shames me to admit I'm a complete amateur when it comes to hardware, but please, try not to be too hard on me and help me out here.
Consider that I've had a Geforce 7200 for the past 2 years, and I've been able to play next to NOTHING except my faithful Pro Evo 2008 for over a year. So I'm really in a bad way :-(

 

[mr_anthrope]

Actually, screw it.
Spoke to my hardware guy. I'll be able to trade in this piece of crap PSU for a CoolerMaster 650W for around $50.

 

[Zenthar]

Probably better of with your new one. Your new PSU will probably be more than enough to tackle even SLI and if components don't increase their power consumption too much, you will probably have enough power for your next build as well.