Graphics card replacement

[Joel98]

I'm currently using https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CP-9020058-UK-Builder-CXM430-Semi-Modular/dp/B00ALYP208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467107857&sr=8-1&keywords=corsair+430w+psu , but need 550w, which mine isn't providing.

Would it best to buy https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CP-9020058-UK-Builder-CXM430-Semi-Modular/dp/B00ALYP208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467107857&sr=8-1&keywords=corsair+430w+psu to replace it?

Any info would be appreciated, I don't have much knowledge with PCs.

 

[plywrlw]

Let me know how it goes. The CX430 really isn't up to running an r9 380. Certainly worth selling your CX430 on eBay or similar if it's working fine without the GPU to recoup some of your ££ back.

Good luck!

 

[Joel98]

Let me know how it goes. The CX430 really isn't up to running an r9 380. Certainly worth selling your CX430 on eBay or similar if it's working fine without the GPU to recoup some of your ££ back.

Good luck!

Will do, thanks!

 

[Joel98]

Power supply has arrived! Although, I'm having real difficulty with setting all of the leads up (I had to pull some from the motherboard to insert the new power supply).

 

[plywrlw]

Which leads are you struggling with? The ones from the power supply or the other ones coming from HDD, fans etc?

 

[Joel98]

i have the power supply leads plugged in other than the sata cable connected to it as I have separate sata cables in (the PSU sata cables are too big anyway).

I have the POWER LED, HDD and another I can't remember the name of all plugged in.

There doesn't seem to be any spare leads, so I have have down in the wrong places.

 

[plywrlw]

OK...

1. What motherboard do you have?

2. If by "as I have separate sata cables in (the PSU sata cables are too big anyway)" you mean that you have taken the modular SATA cables from your old PSU and stuck them in the new one TAKE THEM OUT ASAP!!! You cannot do this as even if they plug in, the internal wiring is different and you're gonna fry something!!

Once I know what your motherboard is I can guide you plug by plug and we can get this show on the road!

 

[Joel98]

I have a MSI PC Mate z97.

The SATA cables plugged in are separate red cables, so these need to come out? The ones connected to my new PSU (there wasn't any connected to my previous one) are bigger.

 

[plywrlw]

OK so your SATA drives need two cables. A data cable and a power cable

See the image at the bottom of this page http://www.newegg.com/product/CategoryIntelligenceArticle.aspx?articleId=95


The SATA power cables come from your PSU to your HDD and look like this at the end https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SATA_Power_Plug.jpg

The SATA data cables come from your motherboard (black, bottom right hand side) and go to your HDD and look like this (colour and shape varies) http://www.cs-electronics.com/product/serial-ata-signal-cserial-ata-signal-cable-ra-7-pin-up-to-ra-7-pin-upable-right-angle-right-angle-up/

Grab your motherboard manual from here https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/Z97-PC-Mate.html#down-manual and check that the front panel switch etc. is hooked up correctly (they need to be the right way around)

 

[Joel98]

Thanks for the info & help mate, have checked those steps and will low load up the manual via another PC.

Will post again if any problems!

 

[plywrlw]

OK good luck!

 

[Joel98]

Checked with the manual via a YouTube video and my POWER LED etc (JFP1 leads) were in the wrong way.

Now to test it...

 

[plywrlw]

I can hardly bear the suspense haha!

 

[Joel98]

No power.

However, mine don't seem to fit in JFP1... My 'POWER LED' lead seems to need 3 pins, when the YouTube video attached to manual suggests it need only two.

This then becomes a problem as, because of this, a lead misses out on a missing pin (like the vid shows)... If this makes sense?

There is, however, a spare pin on the other side (also like the vid shows).


I'm hoping the rest is connected properly

 

[plywrlw]

I wouldn't worry too much about getting the PWR LED connector plugged in at this point. The main one to get right is the power switch which should be into pins 6 and 8 on your motherboard.

For the PWR LED connection, just plug the cable into pins 2 and 4 and leave the extra bit hanging off the end. If the LED doesn't light up once the rest of PC is working then turn it around and leave the other end of the plug hanging and see what happens. It must be a quirk of your case.

 

[plywrlw]

Have been reading up on this. A few people have run into the PWR LED problem....

Here's some possible solutions in order of least to most hassle!

1. Use the pins on JFP2 for PWR LED instead. The positive socket should go to pin 5 and the negative to pin 1 with nothing plugged into pin 3 apart from the empty hole in the connector

2. Move the pins around in the black plastic harness. To quote from another post; (using a small precision screwdriver) lift up the plastic flap holding the metal pin in the connector, then push the metal pin into the unused slot so the power LED has ground next to positive.

3. Using a sharp knife or scissors chop the black plastic harness coming from the case front down the middle along the empty bit. Turn each pin 90 degrees so the excess plastic doesn't get in the way and place the +'ve connector onto pin 2 and the -'ve (ground) onto pin number 4

I think it must be solution number 1 because obviously it was working before and it's the same case and motherboard. It's always more tricky to imagine what you're looking at as I'm sure the solution is pretty straightforward!

 

[Joel98]

Thanks for that mate, it's now turned on.

Now to see if the power supply was the problem in the first place.... I don't get much luck!

 

[plywrlw]

Haha, fingers crossed (again) !

 

[Joel98]

It's on & working!

Checked to see if it would detect my graphics card, heart pumping rapidly, for it to work!!

Now downloading the drivers, thanks for the help mate!

 

[plywrlw]

Hurrah! Happy gaming

 

[Joel98]

Thanks mate, you too! Just glad to have i all fixed after months of trouble, asking, forums etc!