8800GTS 512 link width 1x -- I'm dyin here.

Yeah. I gotta feeling it is the first batch of those cards or something. I got two from newegg and both were bad. The one from eVGA works fine and plays like a champ.

I didn't read entire thread, but since your current PSU has the quad rail junk, make sure you have the card on a separate rail with nothing else. If this was already suggested, forgive me.

Edit: nm i see you are up and running fine now with third card from evga. Gl man.