Graphics Card Power Connection Help

[GizmoFreak]

I bought a new graphics card for my relatively dated Dell Dimension E510. It's an EVGA GeForce 8600 GTS from here.

I have two available power connectors coming out of my PSU. Picture HERE and HERE.

I have these two power connectors coming out of my graphics card via the included adapter. Pictured HERE.

What adapter do I need to get the additional power to my graphics card. Or am I out of luck with the available connectors coming out of my PSU? Please help.

 

[Porter21]

It looks like the converter that comes with the graphics card converts the 6 pin on your actual card to molex connectors. Male and Female.

Should connect to the molex connectors that provides power to many items such as optical drives/hard drives.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...lex_male_connector.jpg

 

[GizmoFreak]

Right, but I'm out of the Molex connectors on my PSU. I have only 2 connectors left (the two pictured).

I've already installed the adapter that came with my graphics card. In the 3rd picture, you can see that it's already been converted to Molex.

My question is, can I get power to my graphics card with the connectors I have remaining.

 

[brblx]

your first picture is of a 6pin pcie connector (second is floppy). pull the molex dongle out of the video card and plug that in.

 

[GizmoFreak]

Thanks! The first connector does not fit directly into the graphics card. The graphics card power port is much smaller. What adapter cable do I need?

 

[Porter21]

You can buy a splitter that will allow you more molex connection using just one. You can find them online, I can look for one. I used one when I ran out of those connections for case fans.

 

[GizmoFreak]

Thanks. Probably due to my unfamiliarity with the connectors, I've been searched for quite a bit but i can't seem to find the right one. What would be the best search terms to put in for this?

 

[dfuze]

Just keep in mind to also verify that your power supply has enough juice to power the card.

I think one of these might be what you are looking for:

link

 

[GizmoFreak]

Thank you, that gets me closer I think. But I still need to convert the single male end of that molex Y cable to fit one of the two connectors coming from PSU. As I mentioned, I'm out of standard molex connectors. I just have the two pictured. The first one says P4 and it appears to be a 6-pin female connector, which if brblx is correct is a 6-pin PCI-E connector.

 

[GizmoFreak]

I think first order of business is to verify what connector THIS really is that's coming out of my PSU. Can anyone verify that it indeed is a 6-pin PCI-E connector? Because I did some research and I'm not so sure.

 

[Porter21]

Looks PCI Express, it should fit into your card? Does it not?

http://www.playtool.com/pages/...ectors/connectors.html

 

[GizmoFreak]

Well it doesn't reach, so I'd need an extension cable at the very least, but I'm quite certain it doesn't fit as is. HERE is the port on my card.

I will add that it looks like it should fit, however it doesn't. Neither plug is fork-style. All the pin housings are joined together on both connectors. So they don't fit into each other.

 

[Porter21]

So you arn't exactly sure if it would fit, if you could actually reach it?

Is that power supply unit cheap? Most decent ones have long cables and many connectors.

Either way the best route would be to get a splitter.
Please let me know what you end up figuring out. That connector coming out of the PSU has to be PCI-E power that should power that card.

 

[GizmoFreak]

I'm not 100% sure but like 99% sure. I'll absolutely confirm when I get home tonight. If you look carefully at the graphics card port, it requires a female connector but each of the 6 pin receptacles have to be like a 6point fork. You need spaces around the receptacles. The connector coming from my PSU doesn't have any spaces between the receptacles.

My machine is a Dell Dimension E510 from a few years ago. I have the stock PSU that came with it. It didn't come with a ton of extra connectors, but I do have a few things in there taking up connectors - 2 HDDs, 2 optical drives, mediacard reader, etc.

 

[Porter21]

Yes, I completely understand. Check when you get home. Hopefully that PSU has enough juice for the card.

 

[dfuze]

Ok, I think I get what you mean by that picture. Wow, that is one short cable. Maybe something like this?

 

[GizmoFreak]

That one looks very interesting. But I think the main problem is that the P4 connector from my PSU is not a PCI-E connector even though it looks like it. I wish there was a way i could definitely identify that connector.

 

[Porter21]

I feel like an idiot, but I don't believe there should be any specific 6 pin power connector on your board to connect that PSU plug to. The only 6 pins I ever see are PCI-E. Did you try it out at home?

 

[GizmoFreak]

Sorry for the delay. Had to pull the graphics card out so it could reach, but yes I confirmed last night that it does not fit. So that mysterious 6-pin connector coming out of my PSU does not appear to be a PCI-E connector. I've been searching online and it's been shockingly hard to identify this thing!

 

[Porter21]

Search 6-pin auxillary connection. I belive that's what it is. I don't think any of my PSU's have that connection, but supposedly some mobo's (mainly older I believe) need that connection. Looks like you may have to get a Y-Splitter for that molex to split between card and what it is currently power. Would that be okay?

 

[Porter21]

http://www.techaddicts.net/reviews/ss_st85f/ss_st94.jpg

 

[GizmoFreak]

Yup, that looks very close.

Can I assume it's a bad idea to convert my floppy power connector into a molex and attempt to power the card that way?

 

[Porter21]

I wouldn't want to do that,but if you find a converter and want to try go for it. These days graphics cards that are underpowered can play havoc on a system, but as long as its sufficient, you should be okay. I don't know if I have ever seen an adapter like that?

 

[GizmoFreak]

I found this one.

I don't plan on doing any gaming on this machine. Just mostly concerned about stability issues. Currently, the NVIDIA driver is toggling down the performance due to the lack of secondary power.

 

[Porter21]

That should work, though I have never used one before. The old ATI card I had before would not start up at all unless given power. You should be fine, give it a run!