Advice on possible computer upgrade

Sudden · 27 Nov 2006 at 01:21

I'm thinking of upgrading a computer I have a little bit just to make it a little bit faster and maybe play a few more games and want to spend as little as possible.
Current specs are -

2 Ghz Intel Pentium 4
Intel D850MV Motherboard
512 MB Ram
80 GB Baracuda.
ATI Radeon 9200 SE 128mb

I don't want much of an upgrade since this computer will be used at most 2 or 3 days a week but i'd like to be able to play a few games without any lag or anything on medium settings if possible. I found the comp. to become a bit slow now, it's been almost 5 yrs. Re-installed windows countless times so it's not just that. Maybe HD is showing it's age?

What do you guys suggest to improve it? Don't want to spend much at all. Maybe 100-150 pounds if possible? The lesser the better! Doesn't have to be able to play the latest games either. (got another pure gaming rig for all that

) Just want it to have an overall faster feel to it, and play a few more games.

Thanks.

Lolcb · 27 Nov 2006 at 01:28

Why would you want to play games on this comp when you have a pue gaming rig lol.

Sudden · 27 Nov 2006 at 01:36

That one is at my uni accomodation. I come home every weekend, and will do so most probably for the next 2 yrs. Would like a small upgrade so I can play a few more games if I feel like when i'm at home

Apatche64 · 27 Nov 2006 at 02:09

i dont know what you have in your other rig? guessing it's good?

why dont you sell both systems, or salvage from the good one and get a shuttle, then just bring the shuttle back?

would make things much better?

Sudden · 27 Nov 2006 at 02:26

Other rig is only a month old. These are the specs -

x6800 processor
Quad SLI (being replaced with SLI 8800 GTX when the step-up pgrogram comes through)
2gb RAM
and other stuff

No intention of selling this for many many years

Just want to slightly upgrade my current one. Games like UT2k4 I can't run on full above 800x600 res. I just feel limited by it and the general slowness of the computer. Not enough to get a new rig, but enough to think about a small upgrade.

Emlyn_Dewar · 27 Nov 2006 at 02:33

Should look around for a cheap 6800 or X800, have seen them going around £50 and it would trash the 9200SE.
Other than that, maybe add another 512mb memory?

Sudden · 27 Nov 2006 at 03:02

Emlyn_Dewar said:
Should look around for a cheap 6800 or X800, have seen them going around £50 and it would trash the 9200SE.
Other than that, maybe add another 512mb memory?

Do you think there would be any point in changing the hard disk? Does a hard disk get affected by age etc?
I'm not sure if it's gotten slow, or was always like this, but re-installing windows hasn't helped at all.

Thanks for the above recommendations

Look into it defintley. Could I add any 512 memory? I think my current memory is like SD and not DDR (don't know much about it, so maybe it's the same thing and i'm just being ignorant

)
Would it make a difference if I added DDR? Would they all be compatible? Also, which memory should I go for?