I decided not to post this in the Tech Forum because it doesn't involve code, is more bargain related, and will probably get more responses here.

Now, I'm considering something that I could get at Christmas. I'm thinking ov maybe getting another 128 MBs of RAM and perhaps a new processor for my decrpit computer. I'm just wondering if my computer supports some of these new processors.

Here are my current PCs specs:

Now, if possible, it might be easier and certainly a heck of a lot cheaper to buy a new processor instead of a whole new chassis, but since my computer's pushing 6 years (in the spring), I'm wondering if it would be able to handle a Pentium IV (I'm a bit clueless in this realm, so bear with me).

I have my mind on this little "beaut" . Maybe you peopel think it's a total crap choice, in which case tell me. It just seems to me, considering that a brand new DELL PC costs about $500 with less RAM than my current machine and a crappy video card (mine's marketed currently at $150, even though, I bought it over a year ago for about $60 in BestBuy [which usually has some pretty bad prices], go figure), this deal seems unbelievably good, at just ~$70 + tax - and it would more than triple my computer's processing power.

The question is, could my little hunk of junk support it?

you would probably have to replace the mobo to accomodate a new chip.

If I was you, I'd just get the new comp and strip your old one for parts. (your hd is probably still good enough to be transplanted to a new machine, everything else is pretty obsolete) The card isn't worth that much b/c its only 64 mb, so i wouldn't put it in the new one unless you're certain that you can't afford better.

I've also heard that celerons are meant for light duty use and are not intended for gaming (think about it-- why would intel make a cheaper chip to compete with their own pentium line? Celerons are usually budget-priced. Do they really like us enough to want to save us money? hell no, they want to roll us for all they can get just like any other company. So, you can assume that there is a reason why the celeron is cheaper.) Can anyone else confirm this?

I'm doubting that your current mobo will take a P4 processor. I have to say it;s time to bite the bullet and get a new rig.

I don't have that kind of money on my person. I'm only 16. Even if I did have the money, I'd be saving it up for better things. Everyone in my house now has a PC made this year running XP, except me. I'm guess I'm just a bit farther down the list, that's all.

Actually, I'm only really being flippant. True I don't have a brandspanking new computer, but with school the way it is at the moment I odn't have the kind of time to get immeresed in a Single-player campaign. Besides, my most recent game I play at the moment is 2003. I'm quite happy with older games, because I can run them at 1600x1200, and the graphics often look a lot smoother than a lot of modern games, although not as detailed (mainly because even someone with a decent rig has to run Doom III at something crazy low like 800x600). A lot of recent game's I'm not to fond of, and I despise XP (although there are a few appealing features, at the least more compatibilty with most of the stuff coming out now).

The reason I wanted an upgrade I guess is just to get a bit more performance out of my PC in just commonplace day-today things. I'm not sure if it'd make much difference (more RAM would probably help, since I seem to get really low on system resources). I guess I don't really need a new processor. Thanks though.

Saying that, do you have any other suggestions for cheap RAM? And just with the future in mind, what's one of the cheapest 128 MB video cards out there at the moment?

(also, forgot to mention, I'll always be a Jedi Knight fanboy at heart. I'll be fiddling around with JED on and off for the foreseeable future. I love that game, for nostalgia's sake if nothing else!!!)

If you shop smart, you can probably get a pretty good upgrade for a $200-$300 bucks (new mobo, processor and RAM). It'd be something you could add newer hardware to over time.

I doubt your PIII mobo would be able to support a Pentium 4 or even the newer Celerons...

I'd suggest you go out and build yourself a new rig, but i'm not sure how comfortable you are tooling with hardware (from your post, seems not, but i could be wrong)

You'll have to get mobo, CPU, and RAM all at once... Upgrading your CPU would require a new motherboard, and also a bump up to DDR Ram.

I'd basically suggest:

CPU: Go with some lower-end model, a sub-2.5 GHz Pentium 4, or anything in the $100 range for the AthlonXPs (should net you something around a 2800+) Given your price range, they should be suitable for your needs. If you go the P4 route, make sure you get the Northwood versions (usually the 533 MHz Front-side bus for that price range), and if you go with AMD, make sure you get a "Barton" Core, with the 333MHz front-side bus.

I would suggest an AthlonXP Barton, because they're just so much cheaper than the equivalent Pentium 4s. You could probably get by on even the lowest Athlons... the 1800+ or so that run at $50.

Motherboard: There are differing opinions on this, but to me, most all motherboards are the same... Aside from whatever specific features you may want (SATA, RAID controller, onboard sound) the few percentage points you may gain from a slightly faster motherboard is not worth the extra cost... the $40 between a cheapy mobo and a more expensive one is much better spent on extra RAM or a faster CPU, in my opinion. Get something that supports the CPU and RAM you're looking for from a semi-reputable brand, and you're good to go.

RAM: Get whichever memory goes with your CPU. That largely depends on the mulitplier of your CPU... If you have a P4 533 MHz, it's running on a quad-pumped 133 (133MHz * 4 = 533 MHz), so you should get DDR 266 (which runs at 133 MHz * 2 = 266) Getting anything higher, like DDR333 won't do anything, becuase it's actual clock speed (166 MHz * 2) isn't compatible with the P4's 133 MHz, so it'll just automatically clock down to 133 and run like a DDR266. Unless you want to overclock, RAM should go like this:

AMD "Thoroughbred" 266FSB: DDR266 (sometimes called PC-2100)
AMD "Barton" 333FSB: DDR333 (PC-2700)
Pentium 4 "Northwood" 533FSB: DDR266
Pentium 4 Northwood/Prescott 800FSB: DDR400 (200MHz * 2, and the P4 is 200 * 4 = 800) Called PC-3200

You should shoot for 512 MB at the minimum...

Videocard: Don't focus too much on how much "memory" the card has. Even the highest end games barely fill the 128MB, much less
the 256MB ones some of them are offering... You should really focus on the chipset of each card. If you're buying a new card, you should definitely be looking for DirectX 9 cards. nVidia offers the GeforceFX 5200 and 5500, which come from $50-100... The ATI Radeons, which would be the 9550 and 9600 (for the budget lines) will run you $100 at minimum, but are far and away better than the Geforce cards... Depends on if your card is a Geforce4 MX or a Geforce 4 Ti, though... If it's the latter you probably don't need to upgrade--it's sufficient for most all games out today. I might considering getting a new card if it's a Geforce4MX, though.

Meh, my two cents... looking very disorganized but it's late and i'm going to bed.

I agree with SD_Rakishi on almost all accounts, cept these:

Mobo: Yes, it does matter. The performance amount may not be huge, but its the stability that you are looking for. You want a rock hard motherboard, not some flaky thing where the last slot only works if you put the card in the slot at a 30 degree angle...

I'd recommend some version of the A7N8X Asus boards if you go the AMD processor route. They're fast, the older models are really getting cheap, and they are rock solid. Not to mention they got some nice features.

Video: Just wanted to say his remark about only using 128MB is wrong. Doom III at max setting will overload a 256MB card, and a 512 card is said to have trouble with it all. Of course, this is only one game, but anyway, you will be fine with a 128MB card for now. I'd recommend the 9600XT if you can afford it. If not, try for an old 9800 Pro or even the 9700 Pro, and then the older 9600's.

How many people are in your house? Wowsers. Your family can't pitch in to get 1 awesome rig yet maintains a few other computers?

Find a way. Trust me. Last year, at 15, I built my computer out of about 400 dollars worth of parts. It's worth it in the long run. Strip the HDD and the card from your old comp, the CD drive (burner whatever), etc, and get a 20-30 dollar generic case, an AMD processor (cheaper, better for gaming), and 512MB of RAM. Make sure the FSB matches up on the two things. Trust me, it's worth it.

Patience is prime.

You can build budget gaming PCs for quite cheap, especially since you have parts you can recycle... if I were you I would get...

ASUS A7N8X-X 100+ CAD
AMD XP2500+ Barton, 100+ CAD
512 megs DDR400 ~80 CAD

Doesn't sound like you cash the cash for a new video card(I'd recommend at least a 9600XT, ~200 CAD), but that would be next on the list. These upgrades would pretty much annihilate the performance of what you suggested, but if it's not in your budget then just save up.