Installing Graphics Card - help with power connection

Mikey

Hello, I have an HP Pavillion 590 and purchased a GTX 1660 graphics card. Clicked into place just fine. Now having trouble figuring out what power cord.  I've ordered PCIe Power cables twice and they are the wrong ones. The new graphics card has a 8 port connection. It SEEMS I'd need an 8 pin power connector but what does it get connected to on the mother board? I only see a 4 pin option on the motherboard that has wires already connected to it. Thanks in advance for help!

TSTonyV

Hello @Mikey! Welcome to the Community. 

The graphics card doesn't plug into your motherboard, it plugs into your power supply. Does your power supply in that computer have a cable that looks like this:



That's a 6+2 pin PCIe power connector, which is what's used for GPU power from the power supply. 

Mikey

No, I don't see that in the computer. Here it the view:

TSTonyV

Okay. You'll need that type of 6+2 connector, and it needs to be coming directly from the power supply to your video card. From the picture you provided I think I was able to look up the power supply in the system. It appears that it's a 310W power supply and it was not designed to support a GPU like that. 

Mikey

Ugggh. Thanks for your help. There is no work around? Someone said we need a "splitter" but I don't know what needs to be split. The Yellow cord goes to a 4- connector. What is that powering?
If not, can you recommend a graphics card that will work with the Pavillion 590 p0066?
Thanks so much for your help.

TSTonyV

A splitter would be a bad idea. The problem is that the PSU in your system doesn't have the power output designed for a video card like that, it's just not powerful enough. Even if you found some type of splitter or adapter, at best the card just wouldn't work, at worst you'd damage a component. 

For the type of PSU in that system, you'll want to use a low-profile card that doesn't require an extra power connection, like a GT 710 or GT 1030. 

Mikey

Can I upgrade the power output to accommodate the GTX 1660?

TSTonyV

The power supplies used in those HP systems have a proprietary form factor, so I'm not sure if you'd be able to do an upgrade. From what I can see looking around online, other power supplies HP has that have the same form factor are also underpowered for that video card. You could reach out to them to be sure, but unfortunately the system you have probably wasn't designed with upgrades like this in mind. 

Mikey

thank you for your help!!