Hi Ive just bought a new 6800gs 256 MB card to replace my old one which overheated. my computer is about 4 years old... the instructions on the box say i need a 350W poser supply. what does that mean? dont i just pop out the old card and insert the new one? how do i tell if my psu is 350W and if it isnt, can i buy a new one? thanks

How did you overheat your old video card? & which model was it? The PSU is basically a transformer. It converts AC power to DC & breaks it up into several different voltage "rails". The 3 main rails are the +3.3v, +5v & +12v, with the +12v being the most important of the 3. The PSU is a self-contained box roughly 6" x 6" x 3.5". Here's an example: http://www.maincomp.com/uploads/sta... Many higher end video cards cannot get enough power from the AGP or PCI-E slot, so they must also be connected to the power supply, *usually* with a 4-pin molex plug (same as used for HDDs). Video card manufacturer's have begun recommending minimum wattage PSUs...some take it a step further & also recommend a minimum amperage for the +12v rail. To find the specs on your PSU, simply open the case & read the label on the side of the unit.

thanks a million for that... my old card was a crappy 4 series...overheated i think because it couldnt handle the games i was playing...

Playing games that couldn't handle it wouldn’t cause your card to overheat, it just won't support that game well if at all and cause it to crash. Dust build up overtime will. It prob had a nice amount of dust build up on it, which overtime can trap heat from escaping and cause hardware to overheat.