Problems with installing graphics card

[UrganNagru]

I recently brought a PNY geforce fx5200 graphics card (yeah I know its naff but I'm a cheapskate)
Anyway I followed the instructions in the manual with the exception of hooking up the auxillary power cable as mine wouldn't fit the clip. First time I installed it it worked fine how ever when i turn the computer on the following day I get 9 short beeps (i think) and not much else. However if i swap back to my old card start up and shut down the computer, then put the fx5200 back in it seems to work again sometimes even allowing me to use the computer twice before it screws up again. Any ideas on the problem, and if you recon its the cable can anyone tell me what sort of cable I'd need to place the present one with?

 

[wyrd_fish]

i'm no expert, but doesn't it have to have the extra power cable?

 

[Mr.Monkey]

When you say it wouldn't fit the "clip" how exactly do you mean?
If it says you need to connect the extra power cable, there is good odds you need to.

What type of conector are you missin? There are conversion kits if you lack a certain type.

 

[Xavier]

Any graphics card with a power socket HAS to be run with the power connected. While the Radeons won't even boot without the power connector plugged in, some NVIDIA boards will, but run into exactly the problems you described.

As far as I remember, the PNYs come with the necessary wire, but if not just use a spare molex connector in your case to hook it up.

Xav

 

[UrganNagru]

Ah thanks for the replies , the reason it wont fit is that there is a piece of plastic surrounding the 2 'pins its would otherwise fit onto. I'm not too sure on cable types or adaptors, what is this molex and would I be able to find it a local PC world?

 

[Krazeh]

There should be a 4 pin molex connector on the board somewhere, from looking at pictures of the board it appears to be along the top edge. Just plug one of the white molex's from your power supply into it (molex's are the small white plugs which are plugged into your hard drive and cd rom).

Altho afaik it should boot up without the extra power, my MSI GF5900 Ultra boots and then gives me a warning in windows that the power isn't connected and the card has reduced functionality

 

[Xavier]

Let us know the precise model number and I'll go look on PNYs webbie. The power connector on the card should be semi-transparent, and the same shape as those on your harddisc and CD-ROM, any 2-pin connection on the card sounds more like a jumper than anything power related, lets be sure before you go hooking anything in - if you were to plug a molex into the wrong place chances are your 5200 will end up a charred, blackened mess.

 

[Clown]

/me plugs a molex into Xaviers backside

 

[Xavier]

Ooh, careful lover, that tickles