Just bought HIS hd 5750 1gb iCooler IV graphics card, questions inside

[SoNewAtThis]

I've purchased many cards in the past and have had few issues. I've upgraded to this card from the POS 9400 GT economy card that came with my PC that was on the fritz. Connected the card, attached 6 pin (molex i think they are called) connector for the card's power, and connected to the monitor with a DVI-D single link video cable. Went into my BIOS and made sure that onboard video was disabled as per instructions, and I should be good to go. However, upon startup I get a no video signal warning and the system doesn't seem to detect the card and install minimum graphic drivers so that I can get into Windows like it does for all other cards. The fan is spinning and I see or smell no problems coming from the card itself.

So I put my old card back in and I went to the HIS website and registered my card. Tried to get into their tech support site, but I gotta say it is one of the most useless websites ever. Enter my card's S/N and it redirects me back to the front page. I went ahead and installed the drivers from the installation CD, and I did also download the latest drivers for when I solve this issue, but I guess I'm stuck at a standstill. I may be overlooking something obvious, but I can't see it.

Any ideas?

System specs:
Windows: Windows VISTA, Version 6.0.6002, Service Pack 2, 32 Bit.
Memory (RAM): 3582 MB
CPU Info: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Monitors: 1x; HP w22 Wide LCD Monitor |
Screen Resolution: 1680 X 1050 - 32 bit
Manufacturer: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
Motherboard: ASUSTek Computer INC. LEONITE
Power Source: Antec Earthwatts Model EA-500D 500W Max. PSU

 

[SoNewAtThis]

When I disconnect the power from the card, I am able to get a video signal. When connected, I am not.

So is my Antec PSU not powerful enough to handle my card? From their website for my PSU: PCI-E connector: one for 380W and 430W, two for 500W. All in all, that PSU is a nasty Medusa of a power source, I've never seen so many wires from a PSU.

I'm looking at the 6 pin connectors, and there isn't really an indication of which one is which.

Added from some stuff I saw at Newegg: An important tip from one of our users: don't just check total power output, find out what you need in the way of current on each power rail. If you need 20 A on your +12V rails and the supply only has 15A, it doesn't matter how many watts the supply puts out: don't buy it. Make certain that you have ENOUGH rails, too: sometimes, you need more than just two +12V rails for your setup.

^ Can someone with more technical knowledge than me translate this into layman's terms?

 

[jyjjy]

I can translate that easily. He is basically saying "Ignore me as I don't know what I'm talking about."
Your PSU should be more than powerful enough for that card as well as cards that use much more power. The 6-pin connector itself may be defective perhaps. Did the card come with a 4-pin molex to 6-pin PCIe adapter perhaps? A lot do and if so you may want to give that a try instead.
If not you could order one for a few bucks but if the card is functioning without an external power connector then don't worry about it too much. Under normal usage the HD5750 actually stays under 75w which is how much power the PCIE slot itself is rated to deliver. Only worry about it if you are really interested in overclocking th card I guess.

 

[jyjjy]

The pics on newegg for that card show it does come with a molex adapter:

So give it a try.

 

[SoNewAtThis]

Tried pretty much every molex connector in my case with the adapter that came with my card, but still unable to get it up and running. Also tried all of the PCI-e 6-pin connectors. When I boot up, blank screen. If I connect instead to the onboard video, things are peachy. Also tried all my various computer cables (DVI, HDMI, VGA, even tried them with the various adapters I have).

Unfortunately HISdigital tech support is pretty much garbage. I might just bite the bullet and take it to a local computer store. I'm convinced it has something to do with the Antec PSU, I just don't see what else it could be.

 

[jyjjy]

Well, I guess either the PSU is defective or the card is. Like I said though that card is fine without the connector so it isn't a huge problem really if you just want to ignore it. Have you had any issues with it otherwise?

 

[SoNewAtThis]

After 2 DOA cards, I'm up and running with a GTS 450 instead. I'm pretty impressed so far, everything is very smooth even at max settings in Fallout New Vegas, LOTRO, Borderlands, Far Cry 2, etc, whereas before it was crawling pathetically even below native resolutions. The card was overclocked right out of the box (or at least marketed as OC'd), and idles at 35 celsius. My only concern is that it runs too hot during gameplay. I'm running in the mid 70s and I've always heard that you should stick under the 70s. I know almost every modern card throttles down when it gets too hot, but I just want to be sure I'm not endangering my PC by running this hot.

I can't find any technical documents on lower and upper temperature limits on my card, GV-N450-1GI so far.

Using Afterburner v2.0.0

 

[jyjjy]

70c is fine for a video card which can take a bit more heat that the CPU. In general I'd only worry if it goes over 90c.
FYI you can probably OC the card to a much higher level than the factory OC if you want to. It would help at that resolution for maxing out the more intensive games.