How can I upgrade my computer for gaming?

I just bought an HP Pavilion Slimline s7700n with Windows Vista. I wish to upgrade the RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB, and also the video card. Here are the specs...





AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ 2.00 GHz


1024 MB RAM (894 available as of now)


Nvidia GeForce 6150 LE (128 MB video ram PCI slot I think)


-I've also been told that my computer only supports up to 512 MB video RAM, but I really have no idea...





First question: If I want the most out of gaming, what video card from Nvidia should I get?





Second question: When choosing a video card, what is the difference between PCI and PCI-express? Is PCI significantly slower? Can it be upgraded to use a high level video card as much as a PCI-express?





Third question: What other aspects do I have to worry about when thinking about a new video card? Do I have to purchase a new power supply? And if so, how do I know what to get?





I realize these are a lot of questions, but any help at all would be greatly appreciated.





Thanks...

How can I upgrade my computer for gaming?
Where do you people come up with your answers?? Off the top of your head answers isn't what someone who knows nothing about computers wants or needs.





Matt, your computer has a 16X PCI-E graphics slot: http://www.pcworld.com/product/specs/prt... (very bottom of the page). You're gonna have to get rid of, or just keep for backup, your two 512 MB sticks of RAM, since your motherboard only has two RAM slots.





And you aren't going to be able to cram an nVidia 8800GTX or GTS into that little, tiny system. Not only is the case smaller than normal, but the power supply is, also. You should look into either a 7600GS or a 7600GT; both would provide at least 10x the capabilities of your onboard graphics, with the 7600GT being nearly 50% faster than the GS.
Reply:It says PCI-E x16 Bus meaning the ON-BOARD VIDEO is connected internally by a PCI-E x16 BUS!!!





Did you see my pic? There is no PCI-E x16 SLOT there:


http://img397.imageshack.us/my... Report It

Reply:The web site says it supports up to 4GB of DDR2/533MHz RAM.





As for the video card: the PC uses a modified MicroATX motherboard design:


http://img397.imageshack.us/my.php?image...


As you can see it does not have any expansion slots other than a PCI slot. This means you are limited to PCI only devices.





Since there is no such thing as a PCI video card (that runs faster than the integrated GeForce 6150) you have no upgrade path.





That's what happens when you buy from a computer manufacturer!





proprietary parts and seizes = no upgrades





PCI-Express is a physical AND electric slot. You can't just upgrade from PCI to PCI-E. (Also, PCI-X is not to be confused with PCI-E or PCI)
Reply:get a faster processor and a better video card.
Reply:My guess would be that your PC has onboard video that only allows 512 megs of shared ram. This wouldnt pertain to a video card. If answer is correct, you are limited to a pci video card tho!
Reply:Boost up your ram to 2-4gb's.


get a 256mb graphics card at least.








A big danger with video cards is they heat up, the geoforce 8800 will heat up very badly. you'd need liquid cooling or alot of fanage.
Reply:i just bought a game called Splinter Cell Double Agent. I'm fixing up my pc to be able to play this game on it. On the box it says that it requires at least a Nvidia GeForce 6600 so I would recommend that one or higher. That way you'll be able to play games like these. Battlefront 2 requires Nvidia GeForce FX 5700 or higher. I guess it depends on the particular game that you're going to play.





Second question. I have no idea. I'm gonna investigate on that one so I buy the best vcard tomorrow so I can play already.


same for third.
Reply:don't do anything with gaming because it will cause problems with your computer like slowing it down and freezing it. so it's better to go buy a gaming system like a super nintendo or sega genesis or an atari or turbo graphics or whatever else is cool now. but i don't think anything is cooler than the new nintendo super nintendo. it's the upraded version from the regular nintendo. it looks soo cool and the graphics are cool too. supermarioworld is my favorite i play it everyday.
Reply:Do the processor in the ram and vista the video controller.
Reply:Well, first of all, not to be rude or anything, but the system you're talking about is obsolete. A couple of years ago that would be one of the best you could get but not anymore.





Question 1: Don't just go for Nvidia. If you only prefer their cards, it's 7600gt or above (7900, 7950 series). 8800 gtx, as the top of the line, would be highly recommended yet if you bought the system you've listed here, it's unlikely that you'll want to spend $500 for that card. If you change your mind and also get ATI cards - go for 1800GT and above. They're just as good yet because they're a bit less popular than nVidia, you might find a better pricing for yourself.





Question 2: PCI-express is the new standard of performance. PCI cards are WAY obsolete. In fact, I don't think you can buy new PCI cards from a store, unless it's used or refurbished. AGP cards came after PCI yet they're being pushed off the scene by PCI-E cards. I'm not sure but I think I've read somewhere that PCI-E card can be about 4x faster than AGP due to the how the port is used. With the PCI card you can't play recent games unless you set it down to the lowest resolution and turn off all options.


PCI card can't be upgraded to answer literally your question. It all depends on what port your motherboard supports. My suggestion would be that your mobo has at least one AGP or PCI-E slot, which you should use for your new card. If it's PCI-E, you're in luck, and your system is future-proof. If it's AGP, you are still able to run some good graphics, and AGP cards will still be around for a while - most likely for longer than you'll be using this computer.





Question 3: There are no real aspects to worry about, just make sure that you buy one of the cards I mentioned (nVidia - 7600gt (not gs), 7900 series, 7950 series, or 8800 series; ATI - x1800, x1850, x1900, x1950 series).


You will need a power supply at least 450-500w to run 7600gt-7950, and at least 550w to run 8800gts/gtx. If you consider buying a new power supply, make sure it has a pci-e power connector for the video card.





For more information on PCI / PCI-e / AGP slots check wikipedia. Here's a start:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pci-e

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