As jephree noted, you need to get a proper supply and don't use power adapters for any sort of permanent fix.

I have 2 connectors for it (the 6-pin on the card)

One that i already had that has 2 molex female connectors (but i only have one free male molex to use)

and the PSU came with a 6-pin/ molex adapter that just has the one molex female connector.

The CD is for the card, but it says there are no suitable drivers, because it doesn't recognise that the card is actually there at all.

Maybe backing up my important files, and resetting the whole system would be good for me. That way all files i don't use/need will be gone and maybe something that is a fault with the system will be gone?

I'm not making any hasty decisions yet though

As we have numerously stated it is best to get the drivers though the manufacturer's website so please disregard the CD. What is the manufacturer for you card? If we know that we can help you out.

Let me get this straight the card has 2 6-pin plugs on the card but your PSU only has 1? Then according to what Bill and Jephree are saying your PSU is not adequate to power your card which is probably why you had your initial problem.

No, what it is is that the card has 1 6-pin connector, but i have 2 power adapters for the card.

One with 1x molex, one with 2x molex.

I have tried re-installing the drivers from the manufacturers website. It's an xpertvision geforce 9800GT

Still no luck. I think it's the motherboard thats broked. It just doesn't show the 9800GT as a peice of hardware, as if it isnt even there attached to the pc.

I found out the "unknown devices" found before by my motherboard, are not the card, but actually something i can't figure out.

I clicked properties (in device manager) on the unknown hardware, and it says its location is at nvidia 6100 (the onboard graphics)

Man i am so confused.

Ok are you saying that the card doesn't show up in user control panel? That would probably be because it doesn't have drivers or perhaps because it can't function correctly due to the lack of power. If you have any video at all then it is working and your MB is using it. Did you get any errors when installing the drivers? How did you try to install them? Did you get them from here?

You need to get this power variable out of the equation so if you don't have an 6-pin PCI-e cable coming directly from your PSU then you need to consider either replacing the card with one that doesn't require additional power or replacing your PSU with on that does have a 6-pin PCI-e. Forgot about using any adapters.

Originally Posted by jephree

The adapters are a marketing ploy. They are not adequate to power the card.

Originally Posted by Digerati

As jephree noted, you need to get a proper supply and don't use power adapters for any sort of permanent fix.

Just to reiterate from many experiences:

Those molex adapters do not work.

At best they require two independent lines from the PSU.

That is not a splitter. You need two otherwise unused leads from the PSU: One to each molex.

Even then you are lucky it even runs.

That card requires at least a 500 watt PCI_E ready PSU with a dedicated 1 x 6 pin lead.

Okay thanks guys, can anyone recommend a PSU?

The one i have at the moment is 500W, has 4 MOLEX connectors, 24pin motherboard + 4 pin motherboard, and the other regular pins.

I need one that will power everything on a regular PC, but with the addition of the Gpu

So 20+4pin and motherboard connector, cd/dvd drive, hdd and whatnot.

Tha nks for all the help so far

can anyone recommend a PSU?

Well, here's my canned text on that:

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home), I recommend setting TDP to 100%. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

1. Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
2. Efficiency,
3. Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation).

Thanks for that!

I did a quick guesstimate of some of the values and it came out at around 350w needed.

The psu i have at the moment is 500, but the company is questionable, and like mentioned before it doesnt have a solid line out for the 6-pin pci-e.

Im looking at corsair PSU's, either the 520 or 620 HX series, but i will decide once i fill in that calculator properly

I like Corsairs PSUs, and Antec too. Understand the computer will draw from the wall what it needs, not what the PSU can deliver. That is, if the computer needs 425 watts, the power used from the wall will be 425 watts (plus some overhead), regardless whether it is a 500 watt PSU or a 800 watt PSU. The difference is the 500 watt will be working hard the whole time while the 800 watt supply will be loafing along.