Lot of Help needed (Upgrading a semi-old Computer)

[SilentFury]

this is my first experience in upgarding, so imma ask you to bear with me

ill start off posting the computer i have now
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/chart_test_report/0,prodid,9483,00.asp
a gateway 300se
ive had this for about 4 years, and just recently started playing some computer games and noticed this wouldnt cut it
instead of puttin down 600+ for a new one, ive decided to upgrade it (since i just need more ram and a graphics card) and buy a hard drive later since those 2 parts are all i need for now
since i will plan on only playing games like counterstrike 1.6/maybe unreal tournament/2004 and some of the free 3d mmorpg games like knight/mu online, i dont plan to spend more then $100

since my computer is so old, and i want the most out of it, i know i will end up needing 256mb sdram pc133, which brings me to my first question
should i buy 2 and replace the current 128 stick, or just add 256?

next comes the card
for my type of computer, i know i will need a PCI card
another question, ive seen some say they are "Low Profile PCI"
whats the difference between those and a normal PCI card?
would it effect performance or the ability of the card to work with my system?

after low profile/pci has been cleared up, which is the best card i can get for the best price and that can work on my system? i want it to be able to run cs 1.6 and some other 3d mmorpgs with high quality and a consistent framerate if possible, so are there any reccomendations?

next is installing
can anyone explain this "grounding" more clear? i read that if youre not grounded you can mess up the parts
does this mean after i lay the tower itself on the floor and open it, that i have to touch the power supply, and if i do where is it located and does it matter which hand i use on the supply(hand thats free)?

(i plan on ordering from newegg.com for both parts, so if you have any reccomendations feel free to link me)

i know that for most of you installing these 2 parts is as easy as it is for me to pop a tv dinner in the microwave and set it to cook, so id appreciate it if youd take some time and help me out
thanks in advance

 

[drumthrasher]

you might as well just buy a new computer. you need a new mobo, i think, maybe a new cpu, ram, and of course the video card. i had my old emachines for 6 years and decided that that is enough and i couldn't really upgrade it at all, so i bought a kick ass gateway.

 

[Half Evil]

How much do you have to spend. I mean, you should get a new computer. If you cant build one get a dell. But, definetly you need a new one.

 

[drumthrasher]

yeah, just buy a new one. you would need to put a lot of money into the one you already have. and don't get a dell, they are overpriced crap. look in your local newspaper every sunday at the weekly ads or check only at store for specials on computer packages. thats what i did and i got a kick ass deal.

 

[SilentFury]

well i was just planning to get a stick of 256 ($40?) and a cheap pci card that can fit ($40?) so thats only about 80 dollars
$80 compared to $600+ is a lot better in my eyes since the only game i'd play is cs 1.6/free mmorpgs

any other thoughts?

 

[SilentFury]

here's what i thought of for a video card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130186
and memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820159006
(one of the reviewers said he tried that stick on a gateway with a 1.2 celeron and 128 of memory, that sounds just like mine so i think it would work)

would those work with my system?
barely under $100 without shipping

 

[kchi55]

yeah.. that should work alright with your computer.. if all you're playing is cs 1.6 i guess that's a sufficient computer. though you won't be getting full fps it'll be very playable.

 

[SilentFury]

so the processor is whats really killing me, right?

 

[mudda_fudda]

ur computer is killing u but no the cpu isnt the biggest problem the memory and mabey your grahics card is the prob

 

[kchi55]

no it's not the processor. one thing.. about cs 1.6 is that, since a new patch came out for it in november 2005, people have been getting dramatic decreases in FPS. some people who used to get 100 fps constant now get like 40 fps...that's just the situation for some people right now. you may or may not be affected by the same problem once you upgrade.