Question about GTX260 and psu hook up.

Make and model of the psu ?

Its a Sunbeam 550 Nuuo series

It's an older design with dual 12v rails, I don't think it matters how you connect the adapter.

So all the rails are 12v? Or there's just no shot at me getting the power I need to run this card?

The GTX260 wants 38a on the 12v rails, and a 500w psu. You are ok on the 500w, but the psu delivers 30a, and 35a peak on the 12v rails, so you are short there.
Almost all psu's really have just one power rail, the split up into multiple rails is a UL safety spec that is often ignored.

I might have thought it would still work, since vga card requirements tend to be conservative.

Are all the cables in tight?
Is there a 4 pin molex connector on the mobo to give added power to the pci-e slot?

It is possible that over time, the psu has lost some of it's capability.

If you decide to replace it, look for a Corsair or PC P&C unit with 550w to 650W. It should cost $80-$100, sometimes less with sales or rebates which are frequent.

Soon as I have the cash I'm going for a corsair 750tx (think thats it..) But till then I'm kinda dealing with what I got. Yes its possible.. Its a good 4 years old, and was a medium quality psu to start with.
4 pin molex on the mobo? I think I got my wording mixed... I have the 20+4 on the motherboard. I have the PCI-e 6 pin in the video card, and then I have the 2 basic hook ups plugged into a converter and inot the 2nd 6 pin on my video card. The basic meaning the ones that go into the Hdd (Thought those were the molex).

I've added my system (more or less) into my sig.

Gahh, why can I edit my post but not delete it?

Some older motherboards had a 4 pin molex connector on the motherboard. It's purpose was to give added power to the pci-e slot to handle demanding video cards.
A 4 pin psu connector neeeded to be plugged into it or the slot did not deliver the specified power to the vga card. Check your motherboard manual for this possibility.

Are we talking about the 20 plus 4? I have the nvidia 750, so its not completely cutting edge its still pretty new.

No, you are looking for a white 4 pin molex connector on the motherboard. It is not the square 4 pin cpu connector, but the elongated 4 in a row standard molex connector.Probably near the pci-e slot. I have seen this before, and it is not clear what it is for. You may not have one, if not, it is not needed. If you do have such a connector, read your mobo manual , it could be the cause of your problem.

If by standard you mean what I'd use for a hdd, then no. There is no plugs at all near my pci-e.

Unless you have a case cooling problem, the psu probably is suspect.

Remove the side cover from the case, and direct a house fan at the innards. If the crashes go away, you have a cooling problem.

Also verify that the vga fan is turning and there is no dust buildup.

I've monitored the temps... And its a new card so dust isn't the issue.

Oh, and I've been monitoring the temps and that's not the issue.

Pointing more and more to the psu.

I'm pretty sure it is... I'm just poor at this point and can't really afford a new psu. Everything else is new... mb, card, cpu, ram.... Just not the case and PSU. I actually just found out the psu is still under warranty, but I'm honestly not sure this psu can handle it at its best as the ampage is... low.