Member Avatar for RocMan209

I recently ordered an EVGA Nvidia Geforce 260 GTX and I didnt have enough 4-pins to adapt to the 2 4-pin to 6-pin adapters needed to plug in the card. so i went and got a couple 4-pin Y splitters and now i have enough to at least plug my video card in, but when i did plug it in, my monitor didn't display anything. I thought something mustn't be plugged in right and i tinkered with everything possible. I had already turned off the on-board graphics card in my motherboard and switched the BIOS to pci-e graphics detection (the only option other than Onboard) so that my previous video card would work. But it gets worse... After many restarts and trying different options with my onboard video, my onboard video stopped working after a restart. Which is where I thought it's gotta be my power supply. I tried my old video card and that didn't work either. Thing is, all of my fans and everything are running fine with my power supply but i think iv'e fried it with the adapters to this huge new video card. Its a 2006 power supply but it has a 600W Max, and 500W minimum required for my card, i thought i could get away with splitting a couple of 4-pins. Also my power supply's fan is operating in spurts, wich i never noticed before and im thinking that's a bit off. I'm having my slightly more computer-smart brother come over tomorrow and see if my power supply theory is correct.

and yes, my computer is POSTing

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Ali.Ayam

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Quick, practical follow‑up for troubleshooting. — the mix of “system POSTs but no video after the new card, then onboard stopped responding” points toward a power‑delivery or connector problem rather than a driver issue. is on the right track about checking the PSU’s 12V capability; total wattage on the sticker can be misleading.

Try these steps in order:

  1. Remove the new card and clear CMOS (power down, unplug, remove the battery for a minute or use the motherboard CMOS jumper). Boot with onboard video to confirm the board still outputs video.
  2. Inspect every Molex/adapter/PCIe connector for discoloration, melted plastic, loose pins or a burnt smell. Damaged connectors are a common failure mode with passive splitters.
  3. Test by swapping parts: if possible, try the GTX260 in a known working PC or try a known good PSU (with native PCIe connectors) in your system. That isolates whether the card or the supply/cables are at fault.
  4. If you can measure voltages safely, check the +12V at the PCIe connector while the system is under load; big drops under load indicate the supply or wiring is failing. If you’re not comfortable with electrical tests, skip this and borrow a PSU instead.

Why splitters fail (brief): passive Molex‑to‑PCIe splitters simply share the same wires and connectors that weren’t designed for sustained GPU currents. That leads to voltage drop and overheating even if the PSU’s total wattage looks high. Older or cheap supplies often have low usable 12V current or weak cables.

Actionable conclusion: don’t run a modern dual‑6pin card long term from Molex Y‑splitters. If tests show the supply or connectors are weak, replace the PSU with a quality modern unit that has the required native PCIe connectors and solid 12V capacity (and avoid cheap, unlabeled supplies). If troubleshooting is unclear, bring a spare PSU or the machine to someone experienced — replacing a PSU is cheaper than replacing a fried motherboard or GPU.

Member Avatar for Ali.Ayam

Look at the sticker at your PSU. GTX 260 needs more than 31A at 12V+ rails. It doesn't matter what PSU you have, but pay attention at 12V+ rail(s). Sometimes cheapo PSU says it can do 600W max, but in 12V+ rails it can only give 20A... Try better PSU like Corsair VX550, if you can afford a GTX 260, I'm sure it's not a big deal to buy much better PSU.

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