Evening sirs, Just bought myself a XFX 7950 3GB to replace my absolutely ancient AMD 4870 512MB. Upon install I realised I need a 6-pin to 8-pin PCI-E power cable. Also, the GPU doesn't sit well in my case. The card is a little heavy and the clasps on the case don't fit the metal-bit-on-the-GPU-where-the-DVI-port-lives (hows that for a bit of terminology, eh?), which is putting a bit of pressure on the PCI-E slot. XFX manual recommends using a retaining screw to keep the card in place. I have no idea if my case came with any, they're long gone if it did. So, two things: Can I get a retaining screw for my three year old Cooler Master case? A quick Google search showed nothing, other than a £10 "leg" to stick under the GPU! Or is it time to get a new case? (The last thing I pulled out of the case was a rotting mouse the cat brought in and left to crawl off and die. Case has been bleached, but a new case isn't the end of the world!) Before I buy a power cable, will my three year old 650W (the minimum for the GPU) actually be good enough? I heard PSUs become less efficient over the years, but I really have no idea. Thanks, sirs!
Depending on where you sit your pc you can put case on its side to reduce the pressure as a cheap solution. A 7950 does not require a 650watt psu no matter what the box says. No 7 series AMD card or 6 series nvidia card requires more than a 600watt( this will change if the 7990 ever sees a sale of some description) As long as your psu is a brand name it will be fine, cheaper psus may struggle with the amps.
So you've lost the screws for the PCI bracket? First off: You muppet Second: They should be 6-32 screws. Same ones used for screwing in HDD's, holding the motherboard in place etc.
Thanks, good to know the PSU will still be suitable. My office/study is basically a cupboard so the PC can't live on its side. Do new cases come with "retaining screws" for the GPU?
PCI bracket is a better term for it! Yeah, long gone. Case doesn't have screws for components, just a mechanism you slide to lock them in place. Here's what I mean in case there's any confusion:
My case has a mechanism for locking stuff in place, doesn't use screws. However, I did steal a screw from the case door and they do not fit in the hole for the GPU. They don't actually have threads. Any ideas? Cooler Master Centurion rings a bell, but I have no idea about model. Good to know the PSU is still good, cheers! Lateral thinking about the case, I like it. Sadly my office/study is basically a cupboard so I have no room!
Grand, thanks. The label is hidden when it's installed so I have no idea. It was a middle-of-the-road one when I bought it but I can't remember the brand, sorry.
Ok, I decided to get a new case. When transferring the PSU I noticed the brand and the wattage. It's Hiper 425W, maximum 410w load! Not the 650w that I thought it was! Do you guys think this'll be enough or do I have to get a new PSU? If so, what brand could you suggest?
Dont even know who Hiper is. Suggests its time to buy a new one. Any Corsair 550-600 watt would suffice. I personally would not put my system on a Hiper PSU. http://www.scan.co.uk/products/600w...ronze-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-quiet-fan-atx-psu Scan dont sell a Hiper PSU so my suggestion would be to bin it ASAP.
I'll send you two screws if you PM me your addy! EDIT seen you are getting a new case and PSU. Good choice dude. What is your budget for both?
Hiper is nowhere near good, so an upgrade would be recommended. A good 400-500W unit should be perfectly fine. I don't think your new card is more power hungry than your old 4870 though.
Just a little bit of advice on 6 pin to 8 pin PCI-E power cables adapters (may be a moot point now since you are getting a different PSU). I wouldn't recommend using one. A 6 pin PCI-E power connector is supposed to provide up to 75W, an 8 pin up to 150W. Whilst such adapters do exist, your power supply might not like a card trying to draw double the intended output from that connector (it will depend on rails and such of course). A better solution if you need an 8 pin connector and don't have one is a different kind of adapter that combines the input of two 6 pin ones into a single 8 pin one. If you don't have enough 6 pin connectors, you can get adapters that take two molex connectors as input to provide one. All this enables you to spread the load much more evenly (try to get power connectors from different rails) so it should be safer.
I've got a Hiper Type R 580W and its been great the 5 years I've had it, they're a discontinued brand now, but I'd advise to buy a new psu altogether just incase/ piece of mind
