Hi guys, so basically, i was looking for upgrades for my computer as a christmas present, yeah i know its early but i might be able to get them early

I put a post on thecomputerforums.co.uk but they dont seem to reply.

Here is my current specs;
#Running System - Windows XP Home Edition 2002 Service Pack 2
#Motherboard - Intel 82801FB Ultra ATA Storage - 2651
#Graphics Card - NVIDIA GeForce 6200 LE 128MB
#CPU/Processor - Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.06GHz
#RAM - 1024MB

I was thinking of;
#NVIDIA 8600GT or 8800GT
#3MB RAM
#Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Energy Efficient 95W edition Socket 775 (2.40GHz) G0 Stepping L2 8MB Cache OEM Processor

So basically im just wondering whether i should scrap my current PC and buy a new one or upgrade the one ive got now, and if so, what upgrades?

My budget for a new GFX Card, CPU and RAM is £400.

Feel free to ask any more questions and ill try my hardest to answer them.

Thanks in advance..

All I can say is, if you only get 2 Gb of RAM, you can save a few extra $$$ - which could go towards the 8800, 'cause it's well worth it over the 8600 if you can afford it

Thanks for the quick reply mate, are you sure 2MB of RAM will be enough for running games?

Ive found a couple of products from ebuyer;
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/116755 - 2GB RAM - £40
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131950 - Quad Core processor - £170
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135024 - Graphics Card (8800GT) - £180

Would this work well on my computer or would i need to upgrade certain things for example motherboard, PSU etc.

PS - If someone would be as kind as to tell me what the purpose of RAM is, i would be very greatful!

RAM (Random Access Memory - but you don't need to know that)

Basically, everything (every program and file and everything) that you have stored on your computer is stored on the hard drive. In essence your hard drive is like your filing cabinet - keeping all your papers and everything you have safely and in good order (hopefully.) However, when you actually run a program, your computer can't run it straight off of the hard drive, just as you can't read your files IN the file cabinet (it's an odd comparison, but stick with me.) That's where RAM comes in. RAM is like... your desk. You take something out and put it on your desk to read it and work with it. When you're done, it goes back in the filing cabinet. However, your desk has a finite amount of space to work with before it gets full of documents, at which point you have to shuffle through papers when you change tasks, and that slows everything down. That's basically what RAM does. It provides quick access for your computer to read files and programs from. Everything you run gets loaded into RAM. But if you don't have enough RAM, your computer gets bogged down once you have too many things open at once.

Basically, the more RAM the better, as you can run more and more programs without 'filling up your desk.' 512 Mb will allow you to run Windows, but not really have more than one or two programs open at a time. 1 Gb, allows a a lot more. 2 Gb is more than enough for anything. I run 2 Gb now, and never have trouble. 2 Gb really should be all you need.

The only games that possibly eat up all 2 Gb asking for more are things like flight simulators where you can crank the objects up to the "insane" setting and then your computer has to load a gazillion things into RAM.

3 Gb would be nice (I'm eventually going to try and go to 4 Gb - even though XP only will see 3, lol) but that's really something that you don't need to worry about now. That's stuff you do AFTER you've invested in other parts.

Bottom line is, 2 Gb would be fine. Just make sure you get DDR2 800 - it'll be faster and just... better.

EDIT: I see the RAM you're looking at. I dunno how Newegg works in England (or if it even does, but just 5 minutes ago I was looking at exactly that RAM for $39 USD on Newegg's site (with a big mail-in rebate admittedly.) Point is, it still might be cheaper with shipping, if you are at all interested...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16820227139

How many RAM slots does a computer have?
Does it depend on your motherboard?



EDIT - On the topic of motherboards, will mine support an 8800GT?
EDIT - Thanks for explaining RAM, i bet that took you a while to type up..

directx 10.1 videocards are supposed to be out soon...

Quote from dez-2k7 :

Hi guys, so basically, i was looking for upgrades for my computer as a christmas present, yeah i know its early but i might be able to get them early

I put a post on thecomputerforums.co.uk but they dont seem to reply.

Here is my current specs;
#Running System - Windows XP Home Edition 2002 Service Pack 2
#Motherboard - Intel 82801FB Ultra ATA Storage - 2651
#Graphics Card - NVIDIA GeForce 6200 LE 128MB
#CPU/Processor - Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.06GHz
#RAM - 1024MB

I was thinking of;
#NVIDIA 8600GT or 8800GT
#3MB RAM
#Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Energy Efficient 95W edition Socket 775 (2.40GHz) G0 Stepping L2 8MB Cache OEM Processor

So basically im just wondering whether i should scrap my current PC and buy a new one or upgrade the one ive got now, and if so, what upgrades?

My budget for a new GFX Card, CPU and RAM is £400.

Feel free to ask any more questions and ill try my hardest to answer them.

Thanks in advance..

You need a new motherboard as wel. And then you've almost replaced your complete pc. If you can sell your current one i should just go for a new one (only thing you can use from your current pc is harddrives (if you use sata) and your cd/dvd player/burner and maybe the case (you probably need a new power supply too )

Yeah i think thats my only option lol, im moving up to the loft soon because the house is being extended and stuff. So lets hope i can get a new computer when im up there.

BTW - There is a really nice case on rebate on newegg.com. The neons look amazing!
Linky - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16811133021

Well, not to sound snobby, but for that case you can get a Lian-Li, which would really be a much better option.

As for what you asked, most motherboards today have 4 RAM slots. For an 8800GT, your motherboard just has to have a PCI-Express slot. It's usually a different color than the other PCI slots, slightly larger, and is placed farther back on the motherboard compared to the others. It usually also has a tab on one end too.

At this point though, I think you really need to consider a whole new computer. I'm speculating here, but based on what you've shown interest in so far, I get the feeling that you wouldn't have too much trouble laying down a couple hundred for a whole new setup. If that's the case, we would be more than willing to help you throw together all the parts you'd need for a new PC.

So, i think my final conclusion is to start from scratch!

Thanks for all the help and stuff guys!

So, if i was going to start from scratch, is there any parts anyone would reccomend or any cheap parts which are pretty good?

Case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16811112116

I've never been happier with a case in my LIFE.

Graphics:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16814130303

RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

Built other computers with these - great product - cheap price.

Hard Drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16822148287

Have 4 of these; work fine

PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

That's the power supply I have. Works great. People will say it's expensive (it is) but it's modular, which is really something that I've found to be a plus. Also though, you do get what you pay for.

Anyway, those are some of my suggestions. I'm sure other people can come up with better solutions. This is the fun part where everyone gets to argue over what parts would be best. It would help the argument along if you were to tell us what the computer would be for (gaming, media, business... gaming AND business, etc...) and also how much you are willing to spend

Yeah i really like that case, if i can get that, it will definatley be on my list, i like the aluminium finish.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

How much do you think it will cost me to build a computer, gaming spec with an 8800GT and a Quad Core processor?

Probably close to $1000 if you're looking at these kinds of parts.

The parts above come out to a bit over $650. You'll still need a motherboard (say about 100) and a processor (another 100-150.) That should be all you need other than tiny things (DVD Drive, mouse, keyboard, etc...) So that would come to around a grand. This wouldn't include a monitor tho.

Admittedly, I'm one of those people who buys the slightly more expensive components. I don't know much about other brands. There are people here who will be able to recommend parts that work just as well for cheaper. Point is, it shouldn't be over $1000 for a nice PC.

Well thats perfect, i was expecting something like $1,500 lol

Im getting £400 for christmas so i should be able to get most of it!

EDIT - Do you know any good processors? Im not too good with them either.. :S

Well, I'm an AMD guy. Not because I think they're better at this point, but because they were back when I got it. Now the Intels are definitely the better choice. However, they are a fair but more expensive. This is what I would look at though:

Intel CPU ($229):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16819115003

Intel Motherboard ($139):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16813131225

You'll also want a DVD Drive ($29):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16827136127

How's that work?

The only thing you'd need would be a monitor, but I assume you already have one.