Help installing my new video card?

[Braveheart]

I just bought a new ATI All In Wonder 9800 Pro and am a little confused about installing it. Unlike my last card that just popped into the AGP slot, this one requires connection to the power supply. I am scared to death about accidently plugging it into something wrong. I have a power extension cable (A) that comes from the card itself, then it splits into two more connectors (B) and (C). (B) is to be connected to the power supply connector and (C) is to be connected to the hard drive power connector. Can anyone guide me through this? I found an power cable that comes from my power supply and goes to my CD ROM drive and then splits off to an open ended plug. Is that my power supply connector? Do I plug (B) into that? Why does this card require connection to the hard drive? I am going to do this one step at a time so I'll stop here with the first connection to the power supply. Thanks

[Motoki]

Most newer video cards require more power and will require this type of connection. It actually doesn't matter which end you hook it up to, they provide both for convenience sake but either will do and there is no wrong one. If it fits, it will work.

My only concern is if your computers main power supply puts out enough wattage to handle both the motherboard and the video card. Some older power supplies don't and if its max output is 300 watts or lower that's probably not enough to handle the video card on top of the rest of the computer. If you don't know where to look on the power supply to check that, the only way to find out is to try hooking up the card and running it. It really shouldn't cause any problems to do so, the worst that will probably happen is the computer refuses to boot or it boots but there art artifacts (little squares and dots, or lines and such) on the monitor screen.

At any rate, I say just hook the thing up to whatever end you can find that works and give it a shot. If you are absolutely petrified to death of doing this, you can pay someone, but I really don't think it's worth it for the arm and a leg they will charge you.

[Braveheart]

I think I have it! I just had to bite the bullet and trust my logic. There really was only one place to hook up the power supply and I didn't even bother hooking it up to the hard drive at this point. So far so good as I can tell. A few days of running will definately be required to be sure. Luckily I have a 30 day money back warrantyon the card. If for some reason the card doesn't suit my needs for whatever reason I can return it. As long as I don't wreck the card they will take it back with a full refund. Really can't lose I guess.

[Motoki]

I think you are probably okay. As you said, give it a few days, but with stuff like video cards and motherboards in my experience, if there's something wrong you will know right away most times.

[Braveheart]

Well, there is something definately wrong, but I believe the problem lies with the Nightlife expansion. My new video card and this is what I get when I exit a house back to the Neighborhood Screen.  http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/braveheart343/NHScreenshot.jpg  Its like there is no 3D at all. Everything is flat.
I am so ticked with this expansion and the problems with the graphics. I would think my only solution is to wait and hopefully Maxis will put out a patch that may help.

[Motoki]

Eww that is weird. I get that sometimes when I'm playing a lot and turn on the setting to show other houses in the neighborhood, but I've never gotten it in the neighborhood screen like that.

[DrBeast]

Wow...seems a giant has been on the rampage! It's stuff like this I see and wonder if my poor Radeon 9200 with ever be able to cope with Nightlife! BTW Braveheart, what happened to that FX5200 you got the other day?

[Braveheart]

The FX5200 was my original card. I have had it for about a year and actually purchased it to run the Sims2. Its been a more than adequate card until Nightlife. I recently bought this new card hoping to see the problems with Nightlife graphics resolved, but even the new card is having glitches. I have now returned the new card for a full refund, as I thought that $230 was a high price to pay and still have problems. It made me realize that the issues are not with my card, but with the way the new exp. renders graphics. I believe its a software problem. I am now back to my FX5200 and praying that Maxis is onto this problem and will soon release a patch. According to a number of forums, I am not the only one experiencing these issues. My FX5200 is working fine while in the houses, so I haved moved all my residential lots closer together so I can just jump to them without returning to the NH screen. That is one thing that is a bonus, not having to return to the NH screen to play each house or I'd never be able to play.

[Motoki]

$230 is too much to pay for a 9800 anyway. You're paying for all those All-in-Wonder features, but unless you are planning on doing video capture or watching TV on your computer, you don't need all those extra features.

[DrBeast]

This is the second Maxis/third EA game I've encountered that behaves abnormally with regards to game lagging. The others were Simcity 4 (although I heard it went very smooth with Rush Hour installed) and C & C Generals (again, things improved a bit with Zero Hour expansion). Hmmmm...

[Peel]

I would say that it was either your power supply was inadequate or your card was overheating due to insufficient cooling.