Help hooking up video card to power supply.

[wibtr]

I just got a Dell inspiron 531 desktop, and I'm trying to install a x1950 pro in there. I'm supposed to plug one plug into the hard drive, and the other into the power supply. The problem is that the only loose plugs I see dont fit.

Here are the plugs inside the PC.

And this is the plug on the video card.

 

[Rik]

The pictures are hard to make out but if its 4 pin power molex's that you need then a y splitter is cheap and should do the job.

 

[wibtr]

 

[Rik]

Thats exactly the same as the first pic!

 

[wibtr]

lol i know.

 

[Daveskater]

if you can't connect the cable to the graphics card because you have no molex connectors left, you could get a y-splitter as rik suggests and connect it to something that doesn't draw much power such as a fan etc.

i personally wouldn't connect it to something like a hard drive because they would then both need power all the time and it may put strain on the psu and the 2 devices, but that's just my thinking

 

[SNGX1275]

The card probably takes the 4 pin molex like the ide cd and hard drives took. I don't know why you then would have to use any cord coming out of the video card. From your tiny pictures it looks like the cord on the video card is removable (also because I've never seen a video card with a power cord, only a spot to plug one into). So just take one of the power ends from the PSU like the IDE drives use and plug it in.

The only other power connection I've seen video cards use is the 6 pin pcie connection (2 rows of 3). You'll need an adapter or a new psu or something if it takes one of those and you don't have one.

 

[kpo6969]

That's a sata connector. You need one of these:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164&products_id=20580

And one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201004

The 1st one plugs into your HD cable and then the 2nd plugs into that and then to the card.

 

[Daveskater]

i think there's a little bit of confusion in here

the way i've read it is that he has put a new graphics card in and doesn't have a spare molex connector to attach to the graphics card

if that second picture is a cord coming straight from the graphics card (after taking a closer look) then there should be a female connector that takes a plug from the psu and a male one to connect to another device so that you don't lose a connector. cheap fans use this sort of thing instead of connecting to a 3 pin mobo fan socket thing (words elude me atm )

if you could give us a few more details (and maybe bigger photos - attach them in zip files or upload them to a site such as imageshack.us and giving us the link to the image) then it would be very helpful

 

[wibtr]

The card probably takes the 4 pin molex like the ide cd and hard drives took. I don't know why you then would have to use any cord coming out of the video card. From your tiny pictures it looks like the cord on the video card is removable (also because I've never seen a video card with a power cord, only a spot to plug one into). So just take one of the power ends from the PSU like the IDE drives use and plug it in.

The only other power connection I've seen video cards use is the 6 pin pcie connection (2 rows of 3). You'll need an adapter or a new psu or something if it takes one of those and you don't have one.

The cord didnt come connected to the card. But you're supposed to connect it to the card, then the hard drive and power supply.

 

[SNGX1275]

Nah, I've never connected the cord that came with the card. I've only had 1 cord ever come with a card though and it was a splitter. In any case, if you have a spare one directly from the PSU that will plug into the card then just do that, its more proper that way too.

 

[wibtr]

Well theres a sticker on the packaging that has big letters and a stop sign, warning me, "You must connect this graphics card to the computer's power supply". Then it shows the diagram of the cord. It has 3 ends. two 4 prongs that supposedly connect to the power supply and hard drive, and a six prong that connects to the video card.

 

[Daveskater]

ahh i see, that's a splitter so that you connect a molex connector into it and get a pci-e connector to the graphics card and then connect the other end of the molex connector into something (such as a hard drive) if you need to

if your psu has a connector like the "six prong" bit then you can connect that straight to the graphics card instead of using the splitter, otherwise plus a 4-pin molex connector into the splitter and the pci-e end into the graphics card

if you run out of molex connectors then you could use the one on the splitter otherwise yo don't have to connect it to anything

if the two 4 pin bits that you say "supposedly connect to the power supply and hard drive" are the same then simply plug 2 molex connectors into the cable and plug the 6 pin end into the graphics card, it's an adapter as opposed to as splitter

 

[wibtr]

Ok, here is the cord

There are 2 ends like this

That I am supposed to plug one into the power supply, and one into the hard drive. But there arent any connectors coming off either the hd or ps that fit it. Am I supposed to disconnect one from the ps or hd? Or should they already be loose?

 

[Daveskater]

i can't see anything in the second picture other than your hand but the first one looks like a splitter cable

you should have 4-pin molex connectors from your power supply that look like this:

(sorry about the physical size, google's fault )

you should be able to get one of them to fit into the cable (probably the connector with the green dot on it in your last post). then the 6-pin connector will plug into your graphics card. then the last connector on your cable (the one connected to the one with the green dot by some short wires) should go into a device e.g. a hard drive should you need it

if you have enough connectors coming from your power supply to not need to plug this into your hard drive then i would recommend giving the hard drive its own power connector rather than going through this splitter cable

 

[wibtr]

Ok, the one you couldnt see is like the pic you just posted. 4 prong. one is male, one is female. That is the cable that came with the card.

I didnt see a connector inside my pc like that though. That was my problem. Should it be dangling loose? Or do I have to unplug it out something?

 

[Daveskater]

if you do not have a spare connector like that then take one out of something (preferably a low-drain device like a fan) and put the male connector from your splitter cable back in to the device

if you don't have a fan or anything like that to take a connector from then anything will do, it's probably better to use one from a cd/dvd drive as opposed to a hard drive though

 

[kpo6969]

Look at this (I have a E521)
this is yours (E531) YOU HAVE A SATA SYSTEM
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd531/en/OM/parts.htm#wp1483829

P3, P5, P8, and P9 are your 4 sata connectors
The only way you don't have a spare one is if you have 2 hard drives and 2 optical drives hooked-up already.

See my previous post for what to do.

 

[wibtr]

I do have extra plugs hanging out but, they dont fit the cord that came with the video card.

 

[kpo6969]

I do have extra plugs hanging out but, they dont fit the cord that came with the video card.

Read my previous post in this thread, # 8
You need both of those things.
You do also realize that the 1950Pro may need more juice than your psu has?
Your psu is a 300w
The 305w I had = 22amps

http://www.centrix-intl.com/showpix.asp?pixsource=0d5032.jpg&pixselect=0d5032-2.jpg

 

[wibtr]

Ya, thanks. I plan on ordering a new power supply in a month or so. Just using this one until then.