[Bipolarjoe]

See below for my system stats.. When I bought this PC about 4 months ago I was just looking for a home PC to do a little surfing on. I also had no clue about computers at the time, even more so then now, & I still don't know too much. Now im getting into PC gaming & I want to be able to play new games like F.E.A.R. but my PC is a wimp. I have already added some more memory & I'm now ready to get new graphics & sound cards but I don't want to buy something that is not compatible with my motherboard or something.. Please help me figure out what to get.. Also, this AMD Sempron 3000+ CPU, is that going to hang me up also? Please dont laugh but, are CPU's upgradeable? Is my Motherboard going to hold me back? Please forgive me for my ignorance. I am studying hard everyday trying to learn more about PC's. Also messing around with programs like "Everest" that pretty much tells me everything about my pc including internal temps..I don't understand most of it yet, but im trying to learn. I might be wasting my time trying to upgrade this PC, but it will at least be a good learning project. But just how upgradable is this thing? Wow, I just read this post and I come off sounding like a little kid..I'm 31, married 8 years with 3 kids BTW....I'm eagerly looking forward to some suggestions and info, Thanks guys

Compaq Presario SR1303WM
Motherboard (ASUS A7V8X-LA) AKA (Kelut-GL6E)
Processor (Sempron 3000+ 2.0 GHz) Chipset (Via KM400A)
Memory (512 MB)+(256 MB) Hard drive (40 GB, 5400 rpm)
Video graphics (VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP) Sound device (Realtek AC97 Audio)
Monitor (FS7600c 17" CRT),
CD-RW/DVD combo drive (48X/32X/48X/16X)
External Cable Modem (Motorola SB5100 SURFboard)

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What kind of gfx expansion slot do you have AGP? and what speed?(2x, 4x or 8x)

I try not to pay attention to how old people seem when they post we actually have a few 13 year olds that would semm lke 30 year olds half the time.

The gfx port is the biggest factor of an upgrade to a gaming PC, next read the manual and find out how much ram it will take(will it do dual channel), then find out compatibility for CPUs and socket type you want an athlon for a home computer.

[warriorscot]

What kind of gfx expansion slot do you have AGP? and what speed?(2x, 4x or 8x)

I try not to pay attention to how old people seem when they post we actually have a few 13 year olds that would semm lke 30 year olds half the time.

The gfx port is the biggest factor of an upgrade to a gaming PC, next read the manual and find out how much ram it will take(will it do dual channel), then find out compatibility for CPUs and socket type you want an athlon for a home computer.

[Bipolarjoe]

Thanks for the reply! My mother board specs says I have Three PCI slots, One AGP 8x/4x (1.5V).. I have 2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets that support up to maximum 2 GB memory.. I plan on getting a 1GB for one slot and putting my new 512GB in the other. The only thing I know about the CPU besides its a AMD Sempron 3000+ is its in (Socket A)...Now I have to go surf and see what all this means! Maybe I need to call my Nephew, he works for the "Geek Squad"....Thanks...

[Bipolarjoe]

According to my motherboard diagram, socket "A" is also known as socket 462

Edited by Bipolarjoe, 16 December 2005 - 09:47 AM.

[warriorscot]

Yeah socket A is the normal name we use, geek squad, dont get us started on them, im sure your nephew is innocent but most of them from what i have seen on here are con merchants trying to get you to but stuff from you, and at the prices they charge they hardly look at the computers let alone try some simple fixes.

Well good and bad for socket A, you can get CPUs but there are alot of people in your position and they dont make the higher speed athlons for socket A anymore so you are going to have to shop around and it wont be as cheap as you might think it should be. AGP 8x is good you can get a x850 xt pe(fastest card you can get for AGP, and pretty cheap now since agp went obsolete).

I would look arounf and do some research and see what you can find, any questions just post them up.

[Bipolarjoe]

Thanks a ton! So the Radeon X850 XT will work with my PC then? What other upgrades should I make? I REALLY appreciate this guys! BTW the things you say about Geek Squad is exactly why he said he wants to move on to bigger and better things ..all his co workers are really salesmen he says..

[warriorscot]

Had someone on here that sent it to a geek squad paid 60 bucks and from what i heard of what they told him, they hadnt even opened up the system even though ti wasnt posting.

You might need a larger PSU to handle a x850, you probably need a larger one anyway barebones arent usually known for large PSUs. Check the label on the PSU and tell us its wattage, you are ideally wanting something of at least 400W for coping with an upgrade.

[Bipolarjoe]

How do I find out what PSU I have and how to upgrade it?

UPDATE,
Ifound this info...How do I upgrade?? Thanks..
Power 250 Watt 115/230 Volt, 50/60 Hz

Edited by Bipolarjoe, 16 December 2005 - 05:29 PM.

[Neil Jones]

250w is woefully inadequate for what you're planning to do.

Ideally you need at least 400w if not more.

But one issue you may encounter with the power supply is that it may not be a standard size, a common issue with quite a few branded systems. Therefore simply buying a new one might not fit.

[Bipolarjoe]

But one issue you may encounter with the power supply is that it may not be a standard size, a common issue with quite a few branded systems. Therefore simply buying a new one might not fit.

So how do I know what to get?