Frustrating new Workstation Problem

[EIREHotspur]

Well it didn't take too long for my new workstation to give me my first headache.

Dell
Windows 7 64bit
12 gigs RAM
Nvidia FX 4800 Graphics Card
2 1.5gig HDs
Power - 875W

I am getting the NVidia graphics Card is not receiving Sufficient Power. As a result the graphics card has lowered it's performance to a level that allows safe operation.
To remedy this problem, ensure that your NVidia graphics Card has the supplemental power connector attached.

On opening my case I have the supplemental power connector attached.
I even swapped it with another one in case it was faulty.

Same message and same performance.

I wouldn't mind if I was a skinflint and bought cheap PC stuff but this Workstation set me back serious money and my work has come to another shuddering halt.

Dell Support is closed until monday. Why 4 weeks work until now and then quit?

 

[Butcher]

How many hard drives are plugged into this system? The 4800 is a beast - I assume it pulls some serious power. If you have a lot of external drives that also draw power, unhook them all and see if things improve. If you have a lot of internal drives, remove all but the system drive (if you can) and see if things improve. If they do, start adding things back in 1 by 1.

Or you might have a bad power supply. That happens, and it can cripple a system.

 

[EIREHotspur]

thanks for that Butcher.

Will try that....I have 2 internal drives and an external usb drive.

UPDATE:
No go.....same message and the light on the back of the card remains on.
I suppose the card must have developed a fault.
Scandelous that a huge company like Dell do not have support for these problems on weekends now...sign of the depts we have gone.

 

[Zissou]

maybe try swapping power supplies; we basically keep everything but spare ram and motherboard and disc drives on hand as things do tend to go bad from time to time.

maybe try taking a spare 400-600 watt power supply, screw it on to the outside of a cannibalized pc for grounding, and plug the graphics card supplemental power supply cable into that, in effect run the workstation on the OE supplied power supply, and the graphics card on its own separate supply.

ive had to do this before when i switched to twin 9800GTX's a while back, and my only power supply was 600 watts with 5 or 6 HDD's and 2 disc drives on an overclocked system. needless to say she didnt want to boot.