Quick! Help Me Please!

[Dog--]

Ok, so tomorrow I'm going out shopping for a sale at Future Shop, and I got an AGP thing for my PC, so I have to get an AGP card, this I know, but they also have a sale on 1gb memory stick things, how am I supposed to know the pin #, there are like 240 pins, 340 pins, etc, how am I supposed to know?


And by the way, rather then paying a douche bag extra to install, I'm doing it myself (just slide old one out, and put new one in and install software, right?), is that how you do it? And what about memory, do I just put it in some kind of slot and away I go?

 

[Sedako]

Well, unless you know the model of your motherboard, we don't know for sure if you need 184 pin DDR or 240 pin DDR2. Considering your motherboard has an AGP slot, it's likely that it uses older DDR RAM (184 pin). RAM is easy to install, the DIMM slots they go in are always to the right of the CPU socket when looking the motherboard while it's installed in the case and upright (assume it's ATX, which is the most common form factor today). Just make sure the slot in the RAM lines up with the slot in the DIMM. If the white locks on the DIMM slot don't snap in all the way, it's probably because the RAM is upside down, although it's important to make sure before hand so you don't damage the RAM:

As for the video card, just remove the old one if you have one (may require you to unscrew it from the case). AGP slots have a locking mechanism that helps keep the card in place. Most commonly, it's a tab that you push down as you pull the card out. After that, you simply line the new card up and snap it in. For both the RAM and Video Card, make sure they are in the slot as far as possible. This may require you to apply a bit of pressure, but not too much.

 

[Dog--]

Is there a way to find out my mobo?

All the technical specs on my Video Card box:

AGP8x
533MHz
2.1GB/s
256MB DDR (?)

Doesn't say anything next to the DDR, just DDR. Would that mean that I got 184 pin?

 

[Sedako]

Is there a way to find out my mobo?

All the technical specs on my Video Card box:

AGP8x
533MHz
2.1GB/s
256MB DDR (?)

Doesn't say anything next to the DDR, just DDR. Would that mean that I got 184 pin?

That's just the video card. As long as you get an AGP card, you don't need to worry about it fitting in the slot or not. For your motherboard, you either need to find the box, instructions, look on the board itself for the model (not always labeled though), or if you bought it from a place like Dell or HP, the model of the PC. However, if the RAM you currently have installed has a label sticker on it, chances are it will say what type of RAM it is.

EDIT: Before I forget, whenever you handle computer hardware, you want to make sure you are completely discharged of all static electricity. Static can damage the components to the point where they won't work. You can discharge yourself by touching a conductive metal, such as the computer case as long as it's steel or aluminum.

 

[Dog--]

Well.. I won't take my PC apart until I actually buy these things.. I think I have the box around here somewhere..

OK:

INTEL Desktop Board D865PERL (says "For the Intel Pentium 4 Processor')

- Up to 800MHz System Bus
- 6 Channel Digital Audio and 1394a
- AGP 8X slot and up to 8 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Ports
- Dual-Channel DDR400/333/266 SDRAM Memory Support
- SATA150 (1.5GB/s) Hard Drive Support with Intel RAID Technology.


That's the only mobo looking kind of box I've got.

 

[MRG]

Please list the Make & Model of your PC, for example if it was a "Compac Presario 5000" or a "Gateway DX442B" If your not sure of that or if your case does not say, you could open your case & take a peek at the motherboard & then write down whatever big lettering (Often in Black or white lettering) it might have & then post it here. Once we have that info, we can give you a better idea of what you "can" have installed.

If you are not 100% how much RAM you have, you can also quickly check by either watching your PC post, where it'll tell you your PC's speed & RAM installed (Unless you have a splash screen that shows instead) or you can check by right clicking on your "My Computer" ison & then clicking on "Properties". The first screen that pops up near the bottom will tell you the CPU & RAM installed. Tell us that.

If I have enough info, i'll type up a little post for you to copy & past to print out to take with you to the store, so if need be you can show the clerk, or at least know what to ask for. Both video card wise &/or RAM wise. (Speed, type)

My Motherboard for Example - Note the white lettering:

-MRG

 

[Dog--]

Please hurry, I said need help quick because It's like 1:45AM, I need to wake up at atleast 9:30 to get ready and go out by 10:00, then I have to go to work at 3:30.

Thanks for helping, by the way.

 

[Sedako]

Well.. I won't take my PC apart until I actually buy these things.. I think I have the box around here somewhere..

OK:

INTEL Desktop Board D865PERL (says "For the Intel Pentium 4 Processor')

- Up to 800MHz System Bus
- 6 Channel Digital Audio and 1394a
- AGP 8X slot and up to 8 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Ports
- Dual-Channel DDR400/333/266 SDRAM Memory Support
- SATA150 (1.5GB/s) Hard Drive Support with Intel RAID Technology.


That's the only mobo looking kind of box I've got.

That means you need 184-pin DDR ram. I would advise you get DDR 400 to be safe. Even if your old ram is lower, it just means that the new ram will clock down to match it, but not the other way around. In summary:

Get a Video Card that supports AGP 4x/8x, and RAM labeled as DDR 400.

 

[MRG]

How much $ do you have to spend?

I advise at least 2GB of system RAM. I advise you to buy a x2 1GB Dual channel Kit to ensure compatability.

Give me a $ amount & we'll list you some ideas video card wise. Then you can take the suggestions to the store with you.

I'll refresh the page every 2 mins to see if you answer.

As far as RAM brand names go, Crucial, Patriot, Kingston, Ultra, A-Data, G-Skill & Corsair are all excellent. I would advise you to buy RAM that are encased in heatsinks. See examples:

With Heatsinks

Without Heatsinks

-MRG

 

[Dog--]

Nice, thanks alot guys.

Well I only got like $250 (really only about $200, but I think my mom will loan me another $50 if needed), and I'm not really looking for a super awesome card, Future shop always has like a 6000 series Nvidia (I have a 5600FX now) usually for like $115, so I'll just go there and find the highest # AGP that's in my price range, and if any money is left over I'll get system memory (I have 1gb now).

I've really just been saving this money for nothing and I decided 'hey I'm on the compute alot, I should upgrade it.'

I recently just got STALKER, and my card barely runs it on low everything (playable that is, I can get like 6FPS at max settings), and I want to upgrade for it mostly. Plus it's kind of pissing me off that games like Vampire: The Masquerade, when I see water with shader stuff, my computer bogs right down (even like a 5 FPS drop in HL2 near water), so I need to upgrade regardless, but it's mostly all for STALKER, plus I own a few others (like Hitman: Blood Money, Condemned (both of which I bought for 360, anyways) that I can't play because my computer sucks ass.

 

[MRG]

Nice, thanks alot guys.

We still need a $ amount to work with. Then you can go to sleep & when you wake up, we'll have your info ready to print out to take with you. I looked at the specs of your motherboard & it'll support all the newer AGP video cards. Now keep in mind, a more powerful video card will require a beefier power supply. Any idea of whats installed in your PC right now? If not, simply take off the side panel and take a look at the powersupply. It'll often have a sticker that will tell you the Wattage.

-MRG

 

[Dog--]

I know I need atleast 2GB ram for games now-a-days, but that's second priority to a new Video Card, mine is starting to age. Horribly.

 

[Sedako]

If you can find an Nvidia 7600 GT or an ATI 2600XT for around your budget, either of those cards will give you an excellent boost in performance. Just make sure it's AGP, because there are also PCI-E versions of those cards. The best AGP card you can get is the ATI HD 3850 for around $130. While it would most certainly be bottle-necked by your CPU, it will still give you better performance than any other card available. As MRG mentioned though, for these cards you'll need to make sure your power supply can handle it. 450W with a 30A 12V rail would be required for the last card I mentioned.

 

[Dog--]

Yea, lol, I actually went on the Future shop website and they've only got 1 AGP card (but then again, they've only got like 7 cards listed on the site, the one near my house has a whole shelf dedicated to cards). And I don't get the flyer for my local future shop till tomorrow around noon.. So screw it, I'll just go there.

@MRG - I'll check here before I leave, I wouldn't mind the help cause I know there are different levels of cards that are relatively the same for alot cheaper/expensive then the other, and it's all confusing like that. If nothing is here tomorrow, I'll just get the highest # Nvidia card I can find in my price range.

For now, I'm going to bed, thanks for the help fellas.

 

[Sedako]

For now, I'm going to bed, thanks for the help fellas.

Good luck finding what you need.

 

[MRG]

Dog,

Whichever RAM brand you go with, I strongly advise that you buy it as a kit. To simply avoid errors or compatibility issues with the RAM that you currently have installed, simply buy 2GB as a Dual Channel Kit (See pic below as example)

As for video cards, thats a very hard question to answer without knowing how much money you wanted to spend.

Some ideas under $130 & lower in order of performance (Online Price. May be more in-store)
1) Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card
2) Radeon HD 3650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card

An older, but still powerful AGP card, was the Radeon x1950 Pro.

Some ideas under $100 & lower
1) GeForce 7600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X Video Card
2) Radeon X1650 Pro 512MB GDDR2 AGP 4x/8x Video Card
3) Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card
4) Radeon HD 2600PRO 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card

Future Shop AGP Cards
1) http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/subclass.asp?catid=10524&mfr=&logon=&langid=EN&sort=0&page=1&list=

Future Shop 2GB Dual Channel RAM Kits
1) Too Damn Expensive To List

For the cost of the video card at the Future Shop store, you can buy a MUCH BETTER video card online, not to mention much better & cheaper RAM.

Online RAM Price (For example only. Remember DDR costs more than the newer DDR2)
1) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220040 - $70
2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211296 - $60
3) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211014 - $65

Just a little info. I'll be up early. Perhaps i'll catch any questions you have before you leave. But to be totally honest, I would avoid buying at that shop near you. Simply too expensive for what you get.

-MRG

 

[Dog--]

I just got back from the store, they only had 1 AGP card, this one for $279..

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10088627&logon=&langid=EN#

Is there a good site to order from? I'm finding that websites are alot cheaper, and stores are retarded.


I'm only looking at Nvidia because I don't know the baseline for and ATI or anything, what ATI card is the same level as a 5600FX? I don't care what card I got, but I know nothing of ATI's.

Preferably a card that doesn't run hot, like that one does.


EDIT: This is the best I can find for the best price, but I'm worried about the heat.. (judging heat by comments for the one at future shop)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130099

EDIT2: Whats the difference between this one and that one?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=23569&vpn=N7600GS SILENT/HTD/256M&manufacture=ASUS

This one says it stays cooler?

 

[Sedako]

Honestly, heat really isn't an issue with Video cards as long as your case has adequate airflow. Think you'd be able to figure out your power supply specs so we can see if you'll have enough juice for a higher end card?

 

[Dog--]

Even if I had enough power to run the best card, I don't have the money. Like I said, I want a card that runs STALKER highest settings (or atleast med/high), I'll buy another gig of memory when I get my next paycheck, also (I don't have enough now, and I get payed in another 2 weeks).

I just got my mom to put $175 on her credit card, so I can buy anything that totals less then that..

 

[Sedako]

Well, the best card agp right now will only run you around $130 (ATI HD 3850), which I think is within your budget. The only problem is that you'll need a semi-decent PSU to run it (around 450W with a 30A 12V rail). Otherwise, you should grab the EVGA 7600GT. Make sure you blow the dust out of your case and fans and that there aren't too many wires blocking the airflow, and you should be all set. Just keep in mind that even with a decent AGP video card, many current games are also quite CPU dependent. Since you currently have a Pentium 4, it would be a stretch to say that many newer games will run well at playable settings. Now, I know Stalker's Xray engine isn't the most optimized one, but as long as you don't crank it too high, I'm sure you'll be able to play it decently with a 7600GT or above.

Edit: Off topic, but since you're probably a bigger rush fan than I am, I figured you would enjoy this (assuming you haven't seen it yet): http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/cc_insider/2008/07/rush-plays-rock.html

 

[Dog--]

wow, thanks for that Rush vid, how did that not come across my desk until now?! That was awesome, Neil kicks over the drums, lol. Singing was ace (how can it not be?)

As for the topic, I got the card here (credit card), and am about to start ordering, I'm not ordering until I get a response, are you guys SURE that EVGA 7600GT will work and is a good agp card?

By the way, I'm ordering from the link in Sedako's post.

 

[Sedako]

I'm pretty certain that the 7600GT I linked should work fine, provided your power supply isn't a piece of shit. Since we have no idea what kind of power supply you have, more likely than not it should be adequate. If by some chance it isn't enough, you could get one for very cheap.

 

[AiM]

How much wattage can your PSU support? Newer card and ram will probably boost your wattage consumption.