my video card has been acting crazy ever so often since I took it to my techs, I've had strange shut downs when running intense 3d apps and nvidia software utiliies constantly telling me the card isn't getting enough power because suplimental power is out which it didn't seem to be, then I check it myself and consulted the manual which seems indicates that the suplimental is suppose tobe three plug in connection one into the card and two into the power, however when I checked today it was a one to one connection.
so is it possible that the tech crewed up and used the wrong power cable when they put it back together, as it would work fine for months if flush and reinstall graphics related drivers (nvidia and 4-in-1 /s) and then one day something intense like a fast paced game or the projected grid water would give it a heart attack and after that anything else graphics intense does.
I'm really trying to head of the possibility that might have to replace it, that shit is expensive where I'm from roughly 310.00 u.s or in my neck of the woods 2 f–kin' thousand dollars, dealers dig in when ask for these things "special" and they have to be imported
thank god I didn't ask for a 6800
check that your PSU can handle the load - many newer graphics cards wrongly accused of being broken, because the PSU doesnt provide enough juice.
I purchased the 6200 llama recommended ;)…on monday I'll be picking it…
BTW, I read in a review 6600 gt be much more powerful.
laughs It's worth mentioning that he asked for the most dirt cheap card nVidia card with SM3.0 support.
It will certainly use less power than a 6600 GT.
It ran pretty good with a 350 psu which blew and I had it replaced by a 525 but I do agree it might be power related thats why I'm hope that someone who installed there own, or maintain it, that can confirm my suspicions about the power cable being wrong
Actually, yes.
well, the reviews actually spoke very well of that cheap one…little noise (less than the 6600) and little power waste…heh, I gotta pay the bill, after all…! … Only thing is seems it has a prob that it wont come back after a suspend, but I never suspend the Pc…
Once I get rich I'll go for a Gf 25000.(I cannot get rich sooner)
But yup, the fps curve was depressing compared with 6600 in same test…huh, one cant have it all… full power for the price of a donut… 
darkfrog dont you have 6600gt did you install it yourself If any body can tell me I'm right or wrong about the power conncts it would be useful…please
@snaga: There's a big difference (in price and performance) between different version of the 6200 (because there's 32, 128 and 256 version). I hope you took that into account looking at the benchmarks. But yeah, even if it's the 32 mb version, it's still only the price of a budget game.
@mcbeth: Since your nVidia software tells you the supplemental power is out, and you have all the signs of a card not getting enough power, I'd assume for now it's not hooked up correctly. Can't you try putting it on another connector? (I assume it's somehow somewhere hooked up to one of those 4 pin molex connectors?)
Yeah, I do have 6600GT and it install flawlessly for me. However, is it possible you forgot to plug in the power connector? My card at least has a power connector on the side where I have to plug one of the power supply connectors because it requires more power than my AGP port can provide. I'm not sure if this is true for the PCI-E version (or if that's even what you're running) but I'd pop your case and verify you're plugged in. 
right! and I have an AGP version aswell, my techs took my pc apart for maintenance in putting it backtogether they may not have used the correct power cable, if the manual is correct that cable should have three plugs one connected to GPU and two in the PSU can you confirm if this is accurate, I may have to reorganized my power distribution if it is.
thanks
Ummm…no idea what you're talking about.
On the side of my card there is a power connector plug (just like on the back of my DVD drive and many other powered components) and I simply plug the connector from my power supply (there should be several just hanging out in there not doing anything) into it (make sure the power is off btw) and that's it.
If you've done that and still no worky you've exceeded what I'm capable of providing to you.
figured it out, the mo' c@! :x techs
Sharing a connection with the chasis fan shouldn't cause any problems…
what matters is that the card is not getting always getting the requirred power. I googled my ass off yesterday and that seems the most reasonable conclusion, top right is what the every search and the docs says the cable should be one for the card and two for power supply.
we even filter every connection and wall outlets through voltage meters and it all checked out fine any how we reorganized the wiring it works fine for now will see if can get a power cable and take it somewhere else for a diagnostic
It's a three way cable, but that (or so it looks like) is just because it splits of from a standard Molex connector. (so if you have none left cause they're all plugged in you get an extra for your videocard).
The part you plug in the videocard, I assume is another sort which is also a standard. They don't use Molex anymore cause it's associated with IDE which will eventually go the way of the dodo (SATA doesn't use it anymore.).
The connector might fit from the fans too, but unlike darkfrog I don't agree it's normal to split power from a fan line. Fan speed is controlled through various schemes, and one of them is a variable DC voltage (if you have a 2 or 3 pin cable that's extremely likely)! Not the thing you'd like to plug your videocard into…
Anyway, go back to those "techs" and get your cable back, or get a new one (they're pretty standard).
thank you llama that was a while back so that cable is most likely gonenow and they(techs:?) dont sell them, but there are a few other places I can check though "small island life :’(, I’d leave, if it weren’tt for the sun, sea, woman, generally layed back atmos… who am I kiddin ain’t going nowhere.
Well you don't need a cable that splits off, you just need a converter from molex to that plug nVidia uses, I think.