power for 7950 gt?

Hi all,

I have just purchased a gf 7950gt 512mb card to replace my 6600gt. Not only
is the new card much physically larger taking up 2 slots and longer to, it
also appears it needs a separate power supply to the card itself. The
dimensions should be ok if I rearrange my cards but I have no spare power
supply plugs.
The card comes with a square plug like the second one used on the
motherboard which splits into two plugs of the type used for hdd's and DVD
etc (please excuse my lake of technical knowledge). My system is as follows.

gigabyte K8 triton nf4 ddr400 mobo
amd 64 3200+
80gb hhd
120gb hhd
cd rom drive
dvdrw drive
floppy
1gb ddr400 ram
soundbaster 5.1 live sound card
case fan
atx tall tower (beige!!)
300w psu


What I need to know is,

Do I actually need 2 more plugs to just run this card?
If so will I need a new PSU or can you get adaptors?
If I need a new PSU how big would I need?
If my sound card gets in the way will the onboard sound be any good?
If I need an new PSU is it worth just buying a new case?

Thanks for any useful info

Andy

"joanne fee" wrote in message
...
I have just purchased a gf 7950gt 512mb card to replace my 6600gt. Not
only is the new card much physically larger taking up 2 slots and longer
to,

Finding online reviews of the 7950GT isn't difficult. You should have done a
bit of research before purchasing it, so there wouldn't be any surprises.

Do I actually need 2 more plugs to just run this card?
If so will I need a new PSU or can you get adaptors?

The cleanest solution would be one of these pass-through adapters. This way
you can use an existing disk drive lead to power both the card and the
drive. http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=2607279 (And yes, it will work
on nVidia cards as well as ATi ones.)

Of course, whether your 300W PSU has enough juice to power the 7950GT is
quite another story. It *probably* doesn't.

If I need a new PSU how big would I need?

If you go for a good brand like Enermax, Corsair, Seasonic or Antec, 400W
will be plenty. The 7950GT requires only about 60W on its own.

If my sound card gets in the way will the onboard sound be any good?

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the quality of your speakers and of course
your own ears.

If I need an new PSU is it worth just buying a new case?

That depends on whether your current case is worth keeping... Most PSUs
included in new cases are below-average, unless the case itself is made by a
reputable PSU manufacturer. Any other time you should buy the PSU
separately.

--
"War is the continuation of politics by other means.
It can therefore be said that politics is war without
bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."

joanne fee wrote:

Hi all,

I have just purchased a gf 7950gt 512mb card to replace my 6600gt. Not only
is the new card much physically larger taking up 2 slots and longer to, it
also appears it needs a separate power supply to the card itself. The
dimensions should be ok if I rearrange my cards but I have no spare power
supply plugs.
The card comes with a square plug like the second one used on the
motherboard which splits into two plugs of the type used for hdd's and DVD
etc (please excuse my lake of technical knowledge). My system is as follows.

gigabyte K8 triton nf4 ddr400 mobo
amd 64 3200+
80gb hhd
120gb hhd
cd rom drive
dvdrw drive
floppy
1gb ddr400 ram
soundbaster 5.1 live sound card
case fan
atx tall tower (beige!!)
300w psu

What I need to know is,

Do I actually need 2 more plugs to just run this card?

No, just one, it's called a PCI-E power connector. It is a special +12V
power connector that supplies the card with extra current that the PCI-E
slot is not designed to supply. See pic:

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/image/11419/


If so will I need a new PSU or can you get adaptors?

You can get adaptors which look like this:

http://www.svc.com/pcie-converter.html

However, I do not recommend it based on how you describe your PSU.


If I need a new PSU how big would I need?

Sadly, wattage alone is not an indicator of build quality. What you need
to look for is a top name PSU, such as Enermax or Antec, or OCZ, or
ThermalTake, or any retail PSU that has been reviewed and tested by
enthusiasts.
That model should have any wattage (start at the 400W models and work
your way up) and as much Amperage up to 20A, the maximum allowed per
spec on a positive 12 volt rail. (+12V/1 @ 20A) Many PSU's have two +12V
rails, this is good. You can put your physical drives on that rail.

Here is a decent choice for your needs. It meets minimum specs for your
reported hardware, any unit you consider, should have stronger
electrical specifications than this surprisingly inexpensive model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153023


If my sound card gets in the way will the onboard sound be any good?

Good for what? If you are gaming, one of the only logical reasons to get
a 7950GT, you must concur onboard audio is unacceptable, you merely move
the audio card to a free slot, if you do not have a free slot, you make
one. Never again mention onboard audio, I beg of you.

If I need an new PSU is it worth just buying a new case?

And give up beige? Depends on your budget. Most cases with functionality
and style do not come with PSU's you want to game with, those that do
have price tags that incorporate high end PSU's. If you do get a case,
get one with a slide out mobo tray and a properly sized and caged PSU
enclosure.


Thanks for any useful info

I wish I could have given you some, Andy.