New Graphics Card

[Dohnutt]

Well with my "new" computer (not really new - it was my sisters), I'll be getting a new graphics card and some more RAM.
Basically, the stock card and RAM suck. The graphics card has no memory so it has to borrow it from the RAM, and there's only 512mb of RAM

Anyways, I have the choice of getting an AGP or PCI (not PCI-Express) card - which Future Shop doesn't sell anymore and thats about the only store around here for computer parts haha...
So I'm at TigerDirect.ca, which is a pretty good site:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/ ... No=1524186
Looks good to me - the reviews look good and whatnot. One review says that it can play Crysis on med-high settings (that would be with a pretty good computer though, which I don't currently have). Does this card look good to you?

I'll also be upgrading to 2GB of RAM (that's the max the motherboard can support) and I don't know much about RAM so I'll just post what my Dad wrote down. I'm not quite sure, so this is either what the RAM has to be or what it is currently:
PRO-MOS
512mb DDR-400MHz CL3
PC 3200U-3033-O-BO
NOTE: I'm reading my Dad's writing which... isn't very readable (neither is mine though)..

So I'm just wondering - if that is what the RAM has to be, does that mean I hafta get 512mb (that means I'd hafta get 3 RAM cards to get up to 2gb), or do you think that there would be like 1gb, 2gb, etc. cards available?

Like I said, I don't really know much about RAM. Or graphics cards for that matter... So, help?

Thanks guys

[tsurugi13]

I don't know much (anything) about graphics cards, but for RAM, use crucial's RAM analyzer to find out what type you need. It only works in windows with IE though.

[Dohnutt]

Well, my Dad and I already opened up the tower and looked at the memory sticks, so we know what kind of RAM I need.

[REivEN]

But there can be different type's of RAM like DDR I and DDR II and DDR III

[Dohnutt]

Oh, yeah - I guess I didn't say... It's DDR I RAM
The computer came with "PC Doctor 5" and it's got a system info thing that basically tells all system information and whatnot. So it says:

Memory Size: 512.00 MB
Memory Type: DDR-SDRAM (PC3200 / 400 MHz)
Memory Manufacturer: MOSEL Vitelic/ProMos
Memory Manufacture Date: Week 41, Year 2006

[REivEN]

Oh, yeah - I guess I didn't say... It's DDR I RAM
The computer came with "PC Doctor 5" and it's got a system info thing that basically tells all system information and whatnot. So it says:

Memory Size: 512.00 MB
Memory Type: DDR-SDRAM (PC3200 / 400 MHz)
Memory Manufacturer: MOSEL Vitelic/ProMos
Memory Manufacture Date: Week 41, Year 2006

HOLY SIZZLE FIZZLE Haven't seen that number for a quite of while and it is possible to the one Single 2 Gb Ram

[Dohnutt]

Oh, yeah - I guess I didn't say... It's DDR I RAM
The computer came with "PC Doctor 5" and it's got a system info thing that basically tells all system information and whatnot. So it says:

Memory Size: 512.00 MB
Memory Type: DDR-SDRAM (PC3200 / 400 MHz)
Memory Manufacturer: MOSEL Vitelic/ProMos
Memory Manufacture Date: Week 41, Year 2006

HOLY SIZZLE FIZZLE Haven't seen that number for a quite of while and it is possible to the one Single 2 Gb Ram

Haha, thanks - I guess I should've looked it up before asking though...
Seems as though I can get it in 256mb, 512mb, and 1024mb (1gb).
So I'll most likely get two 1gb sticks.

These are the same types of memory, correct?
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/ ... CatId=1600
DDR1, PC3200, 400MHz... good?

If so, thanks guys

Now I just wanna make sure the graphics card is good.

[REivEN]

The First RAM in the Page is the best

EDIT:

No wait are you adding the RAM to play only games ? If so the 2nd is the best

[Dohnutt]

The First RAM in the Page is the best

EDIT:

No wait are you adding the RAM to play only games ? If so the 2nd is the best

I just want RAM that will be good for all-around things.
Like, gaming obviously, but I won't be running games like Crysis or anything.
Mostly like Battlefield 2, Sims 2, SWBF2, umm (haha, those are all "2" games)... I dunno, hopefully Half Life 2 (again with the 2!)

Haha - but I'll be doing other things too, like a bit of video-editing (not too much though)
Anyways, I just want a faster computer, lol

[Hebes24]

Just buy more RAM that's the same type as what you have now. I upgraded my RAM to play Crysis faster, and all I did was add two 1GB cards to the existing two 512MB cards already there (My Dad and I were so happy when we opened up the computer and saw that there were 4 RAM slots )

[Dohnutt]

Just buy more RAM that's the same type as what you have now. I upgraded my RAM to play Crysis faster, and all I did was add two 1GB cards to the existing two 512MB cards already there (My Dad and I were so happy when we opened up the computer and saw that there were 4 RAM slots )

I think there are only two RAM slots in this computer.

[Hebes24]

Then you should replace the old RAM cards with New, bigger ones. I would still make sure that the RAM is the same type though, just to be safe.

[Dohnutt]

Then you should replace the old RAM cards with New, bigger ones. I would still make sure that the RAM is the same type though, just to be safe.

It's 1 RAM card, 512mb - and by the looks of it, you can only get 512mb from that company
http://www.promos.com.tw/website/eng/pr ... sp?grup=g1#

[Hebes24]

It doesn't have to be the same company, it just has to be DDR-SDRAM PC3200 400 MHz

Try searching for that type of RAM on sites like Amazon, Tigerdirect, etc.

[Dohnutt]

TigerDirect.ca (This memory is 184-pins and I think the current memory is 172 pins - does that matter at all?)
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/ ... 0400%20MHz

[Hebes24]

Hmm...I dunno.

[Dohnutt]

OK, well I'll look into that.

So I went to Staples tonight and found a nice AGP card
"BFG NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS OC 512MB AGP"

It's all installed and whatnot so now I just needa get some memory

[EDIT]
Oh! I guess I was wrong - it is 184 pins, not 172 So I'm good to go...
I just wanna make sure that I have EXACTLY the right info before ordering though...

Thanks a ton, everyone! I can't wait to start using this computer for gaming and whatnot

[REivEN]

I have forgoten about that but i think it matters

[Dohnutt]

I did that Crucial scan thing and it matched me up with the exact right memory...
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs ... D2A5CA7304

Yay! Now to buy!