Memory and Video Card Questions

[DrHytop]

alright so right now i can run the game fine and everything just low settings and looking to upgrade my ram and video card. specs as of now:
this is stock except for the video card i got a year ago
p4 2.8
ati 9550 256mb
1 Gb ram ( 2 x 512Mb DDR PC2100 266Mhz)

i mainly need help on upgrading the memory, never done that before, i just need help getting some that will fit and work with my system. I'm wanting to get to 2Gb so i need 2 x 1Gb sticks right, cheap but effective. found some here http://www. tigerdirect. com/applications/SearchTo ols/item-details.asp? EdpNo=235786& CatId=840
didnt know if thats any good or not proably cheap crap/ will that fit. And also what does the PC2100.... 3200 i assume higher is better?.. if i have 2100 now and am replacing those can i get higher? any help on that would be grreat. okay to the video:

looking at picking up a 7800GS, seems like thats the best AGP card left, is there much difference between the BFG and eVGA versions, which one is better or are they pretty much the same, about $20 difference. How do i find out if i have enough power and hard drive power dongle? for it, says: Minimum of a 350 Watt power supply.
An available 4-pin Molex hard drive power dongle.

alright guys i know i sound like a complete queer noob but any helps would be much appreciated.

[Painl3ss.NL]

Re: Memory and Video Card Questions

Tell us which motherboard you have. As you're currently are running PC2100 it may be an older motherboard and there may be some issues with memory upgrades that you have to take into account.

In general you don't need 2x 1Gb as you already have 2x512. So you just need an extra 2x512. But maybe you're board only has 2 memory slots or maybe it will clock the memory slower with all 4 banks full, this depends on your motherboard.

PC2100 ... PC3200 is essentially the clock speed at which memory still runs stable. The speed at which the memory actually runs is controlled by the motherboard /chipset, if you put in PC3200 it will just run at PC2100 speed.
Just make sure you're memory is PC2100 or better and you should be fine.

Graphics cards which come with the same GPU have more or less the same performance. Manufacturers can play with the clock and memory speed a little (higher is better). And there may be a difference in the noise a fan makes, which may be important for some.

Can't really help you with the power supply, 350 may be a bit low, it also depends on the manufacturer of the PSU. If it's not enough you're system will be unstable at higher loads. I never had a problem with this, so I can't really tell you what exactly will happen.

The 4-pin Molex is the same power connector that goes into a harddrive if I remember correctly. Basically the graphics card will not draw all it's power from the motherboard, but will need it directly from the PSU.

[WildLegba]

Re: Memory and Video Card Questions

All good advice. Given the age of your machine I would advise you to spend as little as possible on your upgrades as none of the stuff you buy is going to be transferalble to your next computer. For example, even though PCI-E is in reality not appreciably faster than AGP *right now*, it is the new standard and your AGP card will be antique as soon as you buy it.

One additional question: is your machine a name brand? If so, you may have some issues upgrading some of the components and should check compatibility with the manufacturer. For example, Dell's power supplies and motherboards have a different wiring schema than the ATX standard, even though they use the same plug/socket format and adhere to the ATX standard in other ways. Plugging an aftermarket PSU into a Dell motherboard can cause bad things to happen.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Memory and Video Card Questions

"didnt know if thats any good or not proably cheap crap/ will that fit. And also what does the PC2100.... 3200 i assume higher is better?.. if i have 2100 now and am replacing those can i get higher? any help on that would be grreat. okay to the video"

--3200 runs at a frequency of 400mhz; 2100 runs at 266mhz. Memory is backwards compatible.

"looking at picking up a 7800GS, seems like thats the best AGP card left, is there much difference between the BFG and eVGA versions, which one is better or are they pretty much the same, about $20 difference. How do i find out if i have enough power and hard drive power dongle? for it, says: Minimum of a 350 Watt power supply.
An available 4-pin Molex hard drive power dongle."

--Avail molex: PSU's usually come with at least four. If you don't have two HD's and two optical drives, then you most likely have an available molex. You need to open your case and make sure one will reach all the way down to the AGP port with a little length to spare.

--At least 350W: You need to open your case (carefully) and see what it says on the box with all the wires coming out of it.

--Finally, upgrades to AGP are fine if you can get a decent deal. A 7800GS with another gig of ram should keep you gaming comfortable for a couple of years at fairly high settings for the rest of this year, and maybe medium the next.

--I've got a similar setup, P4 3.0, 2x512mb, and an x800xt AIW and I don't plan on upgrading for another two or three years. There is a chunk of new technology coming down the pipe, but there ALWAYS is, so get the best deal today, let the technofreaky work through (and curse at) all the bugs in their bleeding-edge $$$$$ new stuff, and let the programmers catch up on the optimization (unless they work for EA :p ).

And lather, rinse, repeat in a couple more years.

[DrHytop]

Re: Memory and Video Card Questions

Computer Manufacturer Dell
Computer Model OptiPlex GX260 Series
CPU Manufacturer GenuineIntel
CPU Family Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
CPU Speed 2790 MHz
Front-Side Bus Speed 533 MHz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Installed Memory 1024MB
Maximum Memory Capacity 2048MB
Total Number Of Memory Slots 2
Available Memory Slots 0

Slot 1
512 MB Non-parity DDR PC2100
Slot 2
512 MB Non-parity DDR PC2100

crucial recomends this memory:
Module Details:
Crucial Part Number: CT523825
Module Size: 1GB
Package: 184-pin DIMM
Feature: DDR PC2700
Configuration: 128Meg x 64
DIMM Type: UNBUFFERED
Error Checking: NON-ECC
Speed: 333
SDRAM Timings: CL=2.5
Specs: DDR PC2700 • CL=2.5 • UNBUFFERED • NON-ECC • DDR333 • 2.5V • 128Meg x 64

so this kingston would work right? 2 of these->

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1515858&sku=K24-1534

and this video card ->

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1831187&sku=E145-7826

that should get me going on BF@ on high right? and last me a few years on playable settings (not high) for new games until i get out of college and get a new computer. Dont have the money/time/knowledge to go the PCI-express yet, i just gotta open it up and check on my power in the morning after class didnt have time today. Thanks man

okay,it will fit but i dont have enough power. my computer was made in 03. i found this power supply for dells here that will work, 410W will that be suffcient, this is the last upgrades for this computer but i dont have the money for a new one, and wont till i get out of college just needs to last me, im not a hardcore gamer so i think ill survive, just wanna know if i can get one cheaper?

http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S41D2

or can i just get one off newegg that willl work with my system for cheaper and be able to order it all together? that one is $120 hopefully i can get a newegg one cheaper? last question i promise lol
anyone? thanks all the help and input, i think that will solve it hopefully

[Painl3ss.NL]

Re: Memory and Video Card Questions

To be sure that the memory works in Dual Channel mode you should by the pair together. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...asp?CatId=1352

Not sure if your motherboard will do dual channel, but it won't hurt either.

Maybe you can just give the old power supply a try, if it is not stable you can always upgrade. I would think that the graphics card will only draw the extra power in 3D mode, so if playing 3D is unstable, upgrade the powersupply.
Depends how desperate you are to save money. Somebody here said that Dell psu are wired differently, you may want to check that before buying a non Dell. Don't go for the cheapest brands, it's not just how much a supply can deliver but also how stable it can deliver the power. And you can probably move it to a future new machine.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Memory and Video Card Questions

You don't need 2gb of mem for a nice gaming experience...yet.

If you're concerned about about your psu...pull your whole da*n rig out of that dell and drop it into a new (purty) case with a decent power supply (450-550W) w/sata support. You can recycle the case for your future build, and it will only set you back $90-120. I reccommend antec, but only because I'm stressing a sonata I as far as I can stress it, with no side effects (a p4 3.0E, 2 hd's, 2 optical drives, 2 120mm fans and an x800xt AIW card).

The sonata II's have (minor) ventilation issues depending on your config, so I'd look on ebay for a deal.

But, then again, it's Sat evening and I'm two fistfuls down on cheap rum. Bump on sunday if you're interested for a more lucid input.

Good luck!

:)