nVidia GeForce 7900 GS Test

" As all other 7900 cards the GS also sports an external powerconnector, the card uses 82 watts of power, which is just above the rated 75 watts that a PCI-Express port can supply."

I am looking to replace my current graphics card (first time) with a 7900 GS, GT or 7950. I was a bit confused by this statement in page 1. I have a 350 Watt supply with an Intel Core Duo 2 with 2 HDs, and 2 Drives. Power is a bit of a constraint compared to my pld 400 Watt system. I do not really want to have to upgrade the power but get a new card that will boost my performance w/o putting me close to the edge in power consumption given my config.

What do you mean by external power connector. You mean the normal white power coupling that you would attach to another HD or drive. So in effect this card has two power connectors? the PCI-e and the external?

As any other modern mid-range or high-end PCI-Express graphics card, the 7900 GS and 7950 GT card get their power both directly throught the PCI-Express bus and through the special 6-pin power connector at the back of the card. Most current power supplies feature such a speciale PEG-connector (PCI-Express Graphics). If not, there are adapter cables that convert one of two normal molex connectors to a 6-pin PEG connector.