Please HELP...Broken Video Card & Broken Brain...

[Atomic Rooster]

You can mix speeds, but they will both run at the slowest stick's speed. So if you do mix speeds, make sure the new one is faster then the old one. You don't really have to worry much about brands. The motherboard supports up to DDR333, but you can use DDR400 as it's backwards compatible with the lower speeds.

 

[DorkiDorri]

Thank you so much rooster for explaining this all to me, I really, really appreciate it. I am gonna go ahead and find a stick of ram I think I am gonna go ahead and purchase the PSU and Video Card I posted earlier.Is the Video Card easy to install? Or something that beginners should not do themselves? I have upgraded my PSU & Ram but never any video cards or is it something I should pay someone to do for me?

 

[J03]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125281 What about that? Wouldnt it out-perform the 3850?

 

[Holysky]

She doesn't want to spend a lot on an older Computer

 

[Atomic Rooster]

It's pretty easy to replace a video card. You uninstall your current drivers. remove the old card and install the new video card, the install the new drivers.

Here's a quick and easy tutorial: How to: Install a graphics card

 

[DorkiDorri]

That actually sounds really simple, I have added a cd drive to my old computer it sounds pretty similar....plug it in and put the driver disk in I want to spend about $200 max on a Video Card, PSU, and maybe some ram. My daughter is going to have the computer I am fixing for her games and stuff...she is only 3,...But I also want a back-up computer for my media and stuff

I think I am almost done using you guys and asking a TON of questions for now, lol, thanks for ALL of your help!!! You guys are sooo amazing and I would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Here is what I am thinking of... Because my mobo can only support a total of 2gb of ram not 4gb (2gb x2gb), I am just going to get another super talent stick of ram....Here are the specs and web addresses to find them, please look it over and tell me if ya think it will all work together, or if you know something else that is better for about the same money that will work please let me know. THANKS AGAIN GUYS!!!

Specs:
~SUPER TALENT 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Desktop Memory ($35)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820609049

~COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-500-PCAR-A3 500W ATX12V V2.3 Power Supply ($30)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031

~EVGA 256-A8-N505-TR GeForce 7800GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X Video Card - OEM ($124)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130494

Total= $189

OR THIS CARD???...

~SAPPHIRE 100228L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X ($95)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730

Total w/ PSU & RAM= $160

OR THIS CARD???...

~GIGABYTE GV-R465D2-1GI Radeon HD 4650 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 8X HDCP ($95)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125281

Total w/ PSU & RAM= $160


What do you guys think??? Which Video Card do you like best? I wanted to stay under $200 and all of these are under $200...What do you think is best for the money and what do ya think will work the best with the setup I have? Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
~Belle

 

[Atomic Rooster]

With that budget, the HD 4650 would probably be your best bet.

The OCZ Flex EX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) will not work in that mobo. It's 240 pin DDR3. The PCChips motherboard only supports 184 pin DDR memory.

 

[Grantofhell]

But for games like Spore, Rooster? What size monitor do you run, Dorri?

EDIT: I just realized that the cards are at the same price. But the 3850 actually has faster memory, and a larger bit interface. 256Mb would probably run a 19 inch fairly well.

 

[DorkiDorri]

With that budget, the HD 4650 would probably be your best bet.

The OCZ Flex EX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) will not work in that mobo. It's 240 pin DDR3. The PCChips motherboard only supports 184 pin DDR memory.

Yeah i did a little research and edited that post, I have removed that ram and added a 1gb super talent like the one in my computer already, just to be clear I can not make the ram be 4gb (2gb x 2gb)? My mobo will only recognize 2gb or less? So you would go with the Gigabyte GV-R465D2-1GI Radeon HD 4650 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 8X HDCP ($95), is the EVGA 256-A8-N505-TR GeForce 7800GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X Video Card better or am I just paying for the name? I would rather pay a little bit more and have a better quality product that will last me longer cause by the time this stuff all dies it will probably be time for a new computer...and I am hoping that day is far from now

But for games like Spore, Rooster? What size monitor do you run, Dorri?

I always run my settings as LOW as possible, if thats what you mean?

 

[Holysky]

But for games like Spore, Rooster? What size monitor do you run, Dorri?

EDIT: I just realized that the cards are at the same price. Go for the 4650, then. Though it's interesting how it has a smaller interface bit size.

She isn't going for the 4650, it is too expensive

she is going to go with the 2600xt from what she is saying