Need help with upgrading!

[wittsemail]

Hey everyone, I need help with upgrading my computer. Im only running 1gb of ram and want to upgrade my ram so I can run multiple programs at the same time without lag. Programs such as adobe software, 3Ds max, etc. My computer specs are posted below. I need help finding out how much memory my processor can comfortably run. Or if I will need to buy a new processor (preferably not would be nice). I'm thinkin 4gb of ram will be enough to give my computer a nice boost and run smoother and faster. Ive also been told that kingston and crucial are the best brands of ram to look into, so thats what I've been doing. Any suggestions or feedback would be great! Please help, thanks.

Model Name : GA-MA78GM-S2H(rev. 2.x)
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M/B Rev : 2.x
BIOS Ver : 6.00 PG
Serial No. : (01)04719331823214(21)SN0711030308
Purchase Dealer :
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VGA Brand : Nvidia Model :
CPU Brand : AMD Model : Athlon 64 x2 dual core 65 w Speed : 4600+ 2.4ghz
Operation System : Win 7 64-bit SP :
Memory Brand : Corsair Type : DDRII
Memory Size : Speed :
Power Supply : 450 W

 

[wittsemail]

bump

 

[Indigo]

First off, before you do any upgrading, upgrade your power supply. You don't say what your video card is, but even if it's a basic or onboard, 450 watts is cutting it pretty slim, even accounting for a name brand. 450 watts is fine for what you're doing currently.

I'd recommend a Corsair 550/600 watt unit just to give yourself some breathing room.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CMPSU-600CX 600W ATX12V v2.3 Active PFC Power Supply

Your motherboard is a Socket AM2+ motherboard, so you can upgrade to 16GB of RAM max, but the sweet spot right now is 4-8 GB depending on use. For you, 8GB would probably be ideal.
I live pretty close to the Mushkin plant, so I tend to recommend them over most other brands, but a 4GB x 2 kit should be fine. Pick any one that looks price friendly to you. Link here if you need feedback

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226089 (x 2, they don't have any DDR2 kits that are 4x2 on Newegg atm, other vendors might offer them, otherwise you'll have to buy them one stick at a time from the same family)

Your CPU is also relatively low end. (Ironically enough, I'm upgrading the 4600+ I have this week). Since you've got an AM2+ motherboard, you can pick either an AM2+ CPU or an AM3 CPU. If you're looking for ultimate power at a decent price, look at the Phenom II X6 CPUs - the 1055 should have plenty of horsepower for what you're doing and will be a huge step up from what you have now.

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX

since I don't know what video card you have, you'll have to reply back and let us know.

 

[wittsemail]

My video card is a NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT. I built my computer a few years ago so its pretty outdated. I'm a bit tight on money so I just want to upgrade the best I can while using the least bit of money I can but at the same time get pretty good quality stuff if you know what I mean.