New graphics card, power supply?

Lockstep

Just bought the Nvidia 9800GT for my Dell Inspiron 531 Desktop.

Took it out of the box, it appears to need a power supply. I've installed a couple of other graphics cards before but I havn't a clue as to the ins and outs of power supplies. Didn't even know I'd need one.
Do I need to buy a new power supply or can I just plug it into parts of the computer itself?

Any help welcome.

Sqaull20

It will work, but you will need a sata 2 molex connector.



I have put a few powerful cards into the same Vosto dell pc and they work a treat.

You can get the adaptor on ebay or most computer sites.

If your having trouble finding one without ridiculous postage.Give me a pm and I will send you one, I have loads of them lying around.

Lockstep

Card came with a connector that looked like this:


Any idea what the slot it's supposed to go in looks like?

uberpixie

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Card came with a connector that looked like this:


Any idea what the slot it's supposed to go in looks like?

6pin goes in the card, you then pop in two molex connectors from the power supply in the pc into the two ends of the adapter that came with the gfx card.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Molex_female_connector.jpg

If your psu does not have 2 old school molex connections, but has sata power connections instead, you need to get x2 SATA to MOLEX adapters as listed by Squall.

Lockstep

Hmm, I couldnt see anywhere on the computer to stick the adaptors in.

Sqaull20

The 9800gt needs to get power from your power supply to run.Inspiron's dont have a 6 pin P8 connector, nor do they have a 4 pin molex connector anywhere off the power supply.

The 6 pin from the pic, goes into the graphics card and 4 pin connects to the sata 2 molex connector I have shown above.

Lockstep

So all I need is the sata 2 molex connector and I'm set to go?

Whereabouts does the molex connector plug into?

(sorry about all the questions, this is the first time I've ever had to change a card with a power supply)

Sqaull20

Molex connector, connects to the spare SATA connectors in your Inspiron, which are normally used for new hard drives, dvd drives etc.

ScumLord

If you don't want to have to wait for postage Maplins usually have those connectors.

Sqaull20

ScumLord wrote: »

If you don't want to have to wait for postage Maplins usually have those connectors.

Nice, they look at you wierd if you go into Pc World asking about anything other than an ipod connector

TerrorFirmer

Just to clarify every computer has a power supply, and every video card gets it's power from that power supply. The only difference is that some of the higher performance cards can't be powered by the PCI-E bus exclusively, so have to take it from the PSU directly as well via 6 pin pci-express connectors, much in the same way your optical drives and hard drive are powered by the PSU. Many Dell power supplies are capable of powering such cards but don't have the necessary 6-pin pci-e power cable because the machine isn't aimed at that market. The Pci-express connector though looks different to a sata or molex header, so there's no confusing it. Either Maplins or PC World should have those adaptors, though they probably charge a ridiculous price for them. What Squall has shown you in an adapter to change the Sata headers in your Inspiron to molex headers, so you can then use the adaptor that came with your card to power it. Basically:

Two of these, purchased from Maplins or wherever, go onto 2 of these which are already in your case stemming from your power supply; then this goes onto those newly created Molex Headers and the other 6-block part into your card.

Lockstep

Cheers folks, really appreciate all the help.

Only problem is that my Dell is only 300W PSU, looks like I'll have to fork out extra for a new one.

Terrorfirmer: is there anything in Maplins or PC world you could reccomend?

TerrorFirmer

The card will work on that PSU fine most likely. Dell always underrate their supplies, and added to that cards don't require remotely what the box says they do anyway. They probably do that to cover themselves with the unavoidable amount of people using really cheap/poor quality supplies.

If you really want a new PSU, Maplins recently had the 480w X-Power gamer edition for 41 euro, not a bad power supply. But I cannot stress enough these are not the same as the normal red-boxed X-Power PSU's, avoid those at all costs.

Other then that special offer, power supplies in PC World and Maplins are still using the prices of today for yesteryears power supplies. Don't even bother looking at them. Something like this is fairly cheap and would definitely power the 9800GT.

uberpixie

The only PSUs I would get out of maplin would be FSP Blue Storm II's

Not the most efficient PSUs out there but dependable and much much better than the dodgy stuff they sell.

Sqaull20

Agree with terror that psu is fine, I had the same psu with the same card and it worked perfectly.I even pin modded the E6600 in it to run over 3ghz, so you will have no problem.

TerrorFirmer

uberpixie wrote: »

The only PSUs I would get out of maplin would be FSP Blue Storm II's

Not the most efficient PSUs out there but dependable and much much better than the dodgy stuff they sell.

Except they charge 100 euro for them, so no point recommending it.

uberpixie

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Except they charge 100 euro for them, so no point recommending it.

True!

Funnily enough I did manage to stear some random Polish bloke who was in there about a year ago to getting the FSP over the X power psus though.

Saved him big time: if you are getting ripped off in maplin it may as well be on a half dacent product Vs a totally ****e one.

ewj1978

hi folks.. im also in the same boat as Kickoutthejams...

i have a inspiron 530 with a 300w psu and a 8600gt..runs fine but gonna give my dad the 8600gt and get a 9800gt... only thing I was unsure about was the damn psu requirements.. now I see that I have to buy a new psu ...:( Anyways my question...

would a hd4850 be better than the 9800gt?

Lockstep

ewj1978 wrote: »

would a hd4850 be better than the 9800gt?

Yup,
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2064-7.html

ALthough I dunno if you need a better power supply or not.

ALthough keep in mind that it appears a 300W will work fine with the 9800 GT

ewj1978

yeah thats the problem...it appears... Can't be certain cos if it strains the psu then bb psu and possibly the mobo as well...

from the Nvidia forum.."the 9800GT needs 400W and 26 amperes on the +12V rails. You only have 300W and 18 amperes on the +12V rail."

also if you go here...
http://support.asus.com/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

it says I need a... minimum of 550W with a 9800gt installed... :?

TerrorFirmer

It's already been said on this very thread that

1) those requirements are always overated
2) dell psus are always underrated in contrast

A quick google search of 'inspiron 530 *insert model here*' reveals most cards up to at least 9800GT class seem to work fine.

Solitaire

+1 to the above comment.

Nice, they look at you wierd if you go into Pc World asking about anything other than an ipod connector

They look at you weird if you go into PC World.

Period.