Computer Upgrade Advice

Marmel · 12-14-2011, 10:26 PM

I currently have an older HP computer with 1GB of memory. It has a AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3700+ (whatever that means). 1.78 Ghz

I want to upgrade to 4GB of memory. This will cost me $125. From what I understand, if I am still running windows xp, it will only let me use 3.0 - 3.5 GB of that memory? Is that correct?

So do I need to upgrade to windows 7 so I have 64 bit and can use all 4 GB of memory? What's that cost for win7? About $100? So maybe $225 total with memory?

Or should I just buy a new computer with win7, 4gb, 3.0Ghz and a bigger hard drive all included for about $375? How much of a difference does the Ghz of a computer make?

Matthean · 12-14-2011, 10:33 PM

XP Pro is the one with the option for 64 bit. If it's just the home version, you get no real use out of 4GB with 32 bit. $125 for 4GB of RAM seems rather high, but I haven't priced any either. OK, just did a quick search on newegg and that's way high.

Marmel · 12-14-2011, 10:39 PM

Well, this computer has 4 slots for memory and it is PC3200 184 pin:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820178297

I guess I can get that down to $100 at new egg for 4GB.

cartman · 12-14-2011, 10:41 PM

Yeah, 4GB doesn't buy you much at all in a 64 bit OS. Yes, you are limited to ~3.5GB with a 32 bit OS, but there is no real speed difference in the 64 bit OS. The main feature is being able to use >4GB of RAM.

If you are thinking of going to Windows 7, be aware that only the license upgrades from XP to 7. There is no upgrade install, it will be a new installation. At that point, you might be better off looking to buy a new computer. The price of the OS is heavily discounted for a new computer, and more than likely the new one will be multi-core, meaning 2-4 CPUs running at 3Ghz.

EDIT: depending on the computer, just because it has 4 slots doesn't necessarily mean that you can use 1GB chips in each. My aunt had an HP Pavilion that had similar specs to what you have mentioned, and it was limited to 512MB chips/2 GB total.

Marmel · 12-14-2011, 10:41 PM

On the win XP, i think this is the home version. It is just whatever came with the computer. So I would have to upgrade to win7?

MizzouRah · 12-14-2011, 10:44 PM

If you already have two 512 MB sticks of RAM installed into the pc, I would purchase the 2GB kit, which would give you 3 GB total. (two sticks of 1 GB of ram because installing them in pairs will give you the best performance)

I always buy mine from Crucial, but that's up to you.

http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...Series&Cat=RAM

I wouldn't worry about upgrading to XP 64 bit or W7 64 bit because all that pc can handle is 4 GB and the extra GB wouldn't really be a big deal. It would only be able to use 3.5 GB tops and most of the time 3 GB is all it would see.

cartman · 12-14-2011, 10:46 PM

If you wanted 64 bit, then Windows 7 would be your best option. With either XP or Win 7, to get to 64 bit will require re-installation, an software upgrade isn't possible.

Marmel · 12-14-2011, 10:47 PM

OK, I'm learning on the run here. So I can upgrade to 3GB, keep Win XP, but I'd be running at 1.78 Ghz - about $100

Or buy a new computer wtih AMD Athlon™ II X2 (is that dual core?)...$375.

Just trying to weigh the cost differential against the performance upgrade...thoughts on that?

MizzouRah · 12-14-2011, 10:51 PM

The 2GB upgrade is $62 from Crucial and I believe that includes free shipping. I would go with that unless you just want to get a faster pc for a specific reason.

cartman · 12-14-2011, 10:51 PM

Yep, that CPU is a dual core.

You'd be getting a much bigger performance upgrade with the new computer. There have been big strides in memory, video, and CPU performance in the past couple of years. Without knowing how your current computer runs, a best guess estimate is that just the memory upgrade will make a 5-15% improvement, a new computer would be a 30-50% improvement.

Marmel · 12-14-2011, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

The 2GB upgrade is $62 from Crucial and I believe that includes free shipping. I would go with that unless you just want to get a faster pc for a specific reason.

Hmmm, even better. I could actually just try the added memory and if it doesn't work out as good as I would have liked, I could (a) try to return it and get a new computer or (b) just eat the $62 and get a new computer.

cartman · 12-14-2011, 10:53 PM

Usually opened memory can only be returned if it is defective. You'll need to keep that in mind. (that pretty much goes for most computer components)

Marmel · 12-14-2011, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartman

Yep, that CPU is a dual core.

You'd be getting a much bigger performance upgrade with the new computer. There have been big strides in memory, video, and CPU performance in the past couple of years. Without knowing how your current computer runs, a best guess estimate is that just the memory upgrade will make a 5-15% improvement, a new computer would be a 30-50% improvement.

...and more food for thought. It is always fun buying yourself a Xmas present too.

I appreciate the crash course and all the information guys. I'll have to sleep on it.

MizzouRah · 12-14-2011, 10:58 PM

For a new pc, I'm an intel guy.. so I would go with an i3, i5 or i7 depending on what you want to spend.

The i5 is a damn good processor.

MizzouRah · 12-14-2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marmel

Hmmm, even better. I could actually just try the added memory and if it doesn't work out as good as I would have liked, I could (a) try to return it and get a new computer or (b) just eat the $62 and get a new computer.

Yeah, that's pretty cost effective. You should defnitely notice a difference, but it comes down to what you are using the pc to do.

tyketime · 05-20-2012, 01:56 PM

I just bought a new GeForce 560TI NVIDIA card to replace an old ATI Radeon. I installed the card and loaded the drivers. When it rebooted, I got a message saying the old ATI Catalyst Center software was not compatible with new hardware. That's cool. So I look to uninstall or remove the old ATI drivers - but I can't find them. They don't show up under Device Manager - display (only the new NVIDIA card shows there). They don't appear in the Uninstall Program list from Control Panel.

Any other ideas where I might be able to delete the old drivers? My machine seems to have been slow/stuck a couple of times, and I wonder if having both sets of drivers loaded is causing part of the confusion.

Thanks for any help!

sovereignstar v2 · 05-20-2012, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyketime

I just bought a new GeForce 560TI NVIDIA card to replace an old ATI Radeon. I installed the card and loaded the drivers. When it rebooted, I got a message saying the old ATI Catalyst Center software was not compatible with new hardware. That's cool. So I look to uninstall or remove the old ATI drivers - but I can't find them. They don't show up under Device Manager - display (only the new NVIDIA card shows there). They don't appear in the Uninstall Program list from Control Panel.

Any other ideas where I might be able to delete the old drivers? My machine seems to have been slow/stuck a couple of times, and I wonder if having both sets of drivers loaded is causing part of the confusion.

Thanks for any help!

Give this a try -- http://phyxion.net/Driver-Sweeper/Dr...Version-3-2-0/

tyketime · 05-20-2012, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

Give this a try -- Phyxion.net - Driver Sweeper

That looks like it did the trick. Thank you very much! Now to run a few games and make sure it all works as expected. (I have an older motherboard, so am/was worried it may not be compatible.)

My computer itself seems to just freeze up every now & then for a few seconds (was not doing it before the video card swap).

12-14-2011, 10:33 PM	#2
Matthean Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Aug 2008	XP Pro is the one with the option for 64 bit. If it's just the home version, you get no real use out of 4GB with 32 bit. $125 for 4GB of RAM seems rather high, but I haven't priced any either. OK, just did a quick search on newegg and that's way high. __________________ Board games: Bringing people back to the original social network, the table. Last edited by Matthean : 12-14-2011 at 10:33 PM.

12-14-2011, 10:39 PM	#3
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	Well, this computer has 4 slots for memory and it is PC3200 184 pin: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820178297 I guess I can get that down to $100 at new egg for 4GB. __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions." Last edited by Marmel : 12-14-2011 at 10:40 PM.

12-14-2011, 10:41 PM	#4
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Yeah, 4GB doesn't buy you much at all in a 64 bit OS. Yes, you are limited to ~3.5GB with a 32 bit OS, but there is no real speed difference in the 64 bit OS. The main feature is being able to use >4GB of RAM. If you are thinking of going to Windows 7, be aware that only the license upgrades from XP to 7. There is no upgrade install, it will be a new installation. At that point, you might be better off looking to buy a new computer. The price of the OS is heavily discounted for a new computer, and more than likely the new one will be multi-core, meaning 2-4 CPUs running at 3Ghz. EDIT: depending on the computer, just because it has 4 slots doesn't necessarily mean that you can use 1GB chips in each. My aunt had an HP Pavilion that had similar specs to what you have mentioned, and it was limited to 512MB chips/2 GB total. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint Last edited by cartman : 12-14-2011 at 10:42 PM.

12-14-2011, 10:41 PM	#5
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	On the win XP, i think this is the home version. It is just whatever came with the computer. So I would have to upgrade to win7? __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions."

12-14-2011, 10:44 PM	#6
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	If you already have two 512 MB sticks of RAM installed into the pc, I would purchase the 2GB kit, which would give you 3 GB total. (two sticks of 1 GB of ram because installing them in pairs will give you the best performance) I always buy mine from Crucial, but that's up to you. http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...Series&Cat=RAM I wouldn't worry about upgrading to XP 64 bit or W7 64 bit because all that pc can handle is 4 GB and the extra GB wouldn't really be a big deal. It would only be able to use 3.5 GB tops and most of the time 3 GB is all it would see. Last edited by MizzouRah : 12-14-2011 at 10:49 PM.

12-14-2011, 10:46 PM	#7
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	If you wanted 64 bit, then Windows 7 would be your best option. With either XP or Win 7, to get to 64 bit will require re-installation, an software upgrade isn't possible. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

12-14-2011, 10:47 PM	#8
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	OK, I'm learning on the run here. So I can upgrade to 3GB, keep Win XP, but I'd be running at 1.78 Ghz - about $100 Or buy a new computer wtih AMD Athlon™ II X2 (is that dual core?)...$375. Just trying to weigh the cost differential against the performance upgrade...thoughts on that? __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions."

12-14-2011, 10:51 PM	#9
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	The 2GB upgrade is $62 from Crucial and I believe that includes free shipping. I would go with that unless you just want to get a faster pc for a specific reason.

12-14-2011, 10:53 PM	#12
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Usually opened memory can only be returned if it is defective. You'll need to keep that in mind. (that pretty much goes for most computer components) __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

12-14-2011, 10:58 PM	#14
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	For a new pc, I'm an intel guy.. so I would go with an i3, i5 or i7 depending on what you want to spend. The i5 is a damn good processor. Last edited by MizzouRah : 12-14-2011 at 11:00 PM.

05-20-2012, 01:56 PM	#16
tyketime College Benchwarmer Join Date: Nov 2003	I just bought a new GeForce 560TI NVIDIA card to replace an old ATI Radeon. I installed the card and loaded the drivers. When it rebooted, I got a message saying the old ATI Catalyst Center software was not compatible with new hardware. That's cool. So I look to uninstall or remove the old ATI drivers - but I can't find them. They don't show up under Device Manager - display (only the new NVIDIA card shows there). They don't appear in the Uninstall Program list from Control Panel. Any other ideas where I might be able to delete the old drivers? My machine seems to have been slow/stuck a couple of times, and I wonder if having both sets of drivers loaded is causing part of the confusion. Thanks for any help!

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