Slowly upgrading PC. Need advice.

[Woozie]

I have a PC that I haven't upgraded since 2005. I'm finally getting around to doing so.

Here's my current setup:

Spoiler: show

Maxtor maxtor 6L080P0 harddrive (80GB)
Nvidia GeForce 6600


http://i43.tinypic.com/2usu1yd.jpg

Slots 2, 3, and 4 are empty on my memory so I have a total of 512 RAM

I don't know how to check my PSU or soundcard or anything else I didn't list. If anyone wants more info, you'll probably have to tell me how to find the info you need

I don't have enough money to upgrade everything at once, so I plan to do it bit by bit.

The main thing I do with my computer is music production, which requires tons of memory. So memory is what I want to upgrade first. I'm not trying to be a professional or anything, so I don't need a top notch system specifically for music production. I want one that's as cheap as possible that allows me to at least get the job done.

I've heard that there is a such thing as too much memory, so I don't know how much I should put in. I do know that it's best to have a bunch of sticks of the same amount of memory. So I'm guessing I shouldn't go insane and do 4x2GB, right? I'm on a budget anyways, so I was thinking about aiming for 2-4 gigs if that's not too much. I have no idea what to look for when shopping for memory. I don't even know how to check and see if a given memory stick is compatible with my motherboard (or are they more like once size fits all?). Like I said, I'm on a budget, so my first priority is to get just enough ram (probably 2GB) for as cheap as possible.

A new graphics card is in just as high priority as my RAM. The reason is that I believe my graphics card is damaged. About two years ago I started having problems where my computer screen would freeze, turn black for a few seconds, then either come back to normal, come back to working condition but with graphical errors and glitches, or my computer would crash entirely. After a while it got to the point where I couldn't even load FFXI or Oblivion without crashing immediately. When I'm not doing anything intensive like that, it still may crash/flicker/etc, but it just wont happen as fast. Also, my limewire looks like this:

Spoiler: show

http://i42.tinypic.com/5yyb85.jpg

Which makes it practically useless. A few other websites give me similar issues. At one point in time I couldn't read BG because the graphics were all scrambled up. I assume that it's my graphics card causing this, though I could be wrong because I suck at computers.

I wont be playing any intensive games for a long time. So for a new graphics card, I need something that's good enough to just work (and maybe good enough to play games on a Game Boy Advance or Playstation 1 emulator). But for the most part, I'm going for something as cheap as possible that gets the job done. Like RAM, I have no clue how to look for a graphics card or how to know if it's compatible with my motherboard (it's hard to believe I even built this computer considering how little I know. I wont play any intensive game for a long time, so long that the graphics card I'll end up using probably isn't even created yet. So there's no need for me to get a really good graphics card just in case I change my mind or anything.

After RAM and graphics card (assuming the graphics card is the cause of the glitches), I don't know what upgrades should take priority, though I do want a larger hard drive soon. I don't have any space issues with my measly 80GB, so I'm not in that much of a hurry. There is a grand piano virtual instrument that I want that takes 32GB though, so I do eventually want to upgrade so I can get that. I'm not in a hurry to get that though.

One of the programs I use for music requires a processor faster than what I have, so I suppose that should be high priority along with graphics card and memory. I have no idea where to look in terms of processors either.

I appreciate any suggestions. Keep in mind that I'm broke D:

Edit: Also, for these antistatic wrist straps...what the heck do I connect the clip to? We've actually used these in the laboratory but I don't even remember how.

[Gatsby]

Just a few general pieces of advice.

1 - Vista 32 bit (which almost everyone but those who know what 64bit is) is what you are running can only assign 4 gigs of memory including GPU memory. If you upgrade to a 64 bit version you can assign additional amounts of memory but I am unsure if you need that much. 4 Gigs isn't that expensive now.

2 - Most new video cards do DVI only. White endcap cables from the monitor. Double check that to see if you use DVI (white) or VGA (blue).

3 - Once you find it look for a cheap ~70 USD one from newegg. Geforce 8+ or ATI 4xxx series or higher. That should cover your needs.

4 - Hard drives are really really cheap now. Since you are using an older computer I'm going to take the assumption that you have not moved to SATA (red cables that are thin) and are still on IDE cables (long 1.5" wide cables). Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJB 320GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 3.5" Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives

5 - a CPU upgrade takes a lot of work and a lot of info which I can't find on the gigabyte website to advise you.

[Isiolia]

One of the programs I use for music requires a processor faster than what I have, so I suppose that should be high priority along with graphics card and memory. I have no idea where to look in terms of processors either.

Well, once you start getting into that, you start looking at a new motherboard, which in turn will probably need new RAM, may benefit from a new PSU, and so on. Plus your existing machine is AGP, few AGP cards are made anymore...RAM is of an old type as well. Basically, anything you spend money on -now- won't make the transition to a new CPU.

Realistically, what sort of budget are you talking about? You can build a very decent machine for ~$500, bit less if you aren't going with a gaming-level GPU. Do you have, say, $400 to put a new box together? Would you be able to put that sort of money aside? IMO, it would be better to try and do a mobo/CPU/RAM (at least) swap all at once. GPU you could either go with a budget card, or get a mobo with built-in graphics.

Going with budget parts, you should be able to do that for under $300. There are good $50-70 CPUs and GPUs, name brand 4GB memory kits for maybe $45, and good motherboards in the $80-100 range.

In respect to storage, 1TB drives are around the $100 mark now, 500GB for around $60. Space is cheap.

In general, unless you see some dirt cheap parts on craigslist or something, I'd recommend just putting a few bucks aside so that you can buy the core components at the same time.

Edit: Also, for these antistatic wrist straps...what the heck do I connect the clip to? We've actually used these in the laboratory but I don't even remember how.

Connect them to something else that's grounded. If working inside a PC, usually, just clip it to the case.

[Olo401]

Your machine is about as old as my older one.. but the board is significantly newer so I believe you have some good room to upgrade. Not as much as you might like though..

Here's your motherboard btw: GIGABYTE - Product - Motherboard - Specification - GA-K8U-939

You can upgrade the memory up to 4GB of DDR-400 single-channel, and the CPU can go as high as an Athlon x2 4800 (for Socket 939 NOT AM2), which will be a big jump in speed.

Your parts are going to be more expensive though since they're not made anymore, especially a faster CPU. For the price you'd get that highest-speed CPU for your current board, you can probably get a MUCH newer CPU and a motherboard that can accept DDR2 memory. And for the same price as 1 gig of your current memory you can get 4 gigs of DDR2.

[levish]

get a cheap video card to tide you over while you get enough money to redo the whole thing imo

3000+ processor? - meh
s939 mobo? - dead
DDR memory? - dead (even DDR2 will be on its way out shortly)
olde HDD? - alot of new ones are significantly faster now (compared to SATA hdd's of yore)
Video card? - probably not worth mentioning by today's standards

not much left other than case/psu/cd or dvd drives (which are dirt cheap)

[Guyverarmor]

Looking around woozie, I saw this one (AGP) a friend of mine has it, and has had no problems with it...overall, a decent vid card...and it is HDCP compliant

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100258L Radeon HD 3650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

[Isiolia]

Eh, for an AGP card, just ask around friends/work if anyone has an old one they'd be willing to give you or sell for a few bucks. I've got PIII/P4 systems sitting in my basement with perfectly serviceable cards, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[Woozie]

I may just go ahead and upgrade the entire thing at once as a few people here have suggested. But in that case, it will take me a few months to save up maybe 400 dollars to upgrade. I'd rather just build a 1k PC in a year and a half when I have more money. So I guess what I'll do is just buy a new video card to hold me over as levish suggested, and maybe get one more 512 stick of RAM so that I can at least run my VSTs (somewhat) smoothly.

Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll probably be making another topic in a year or so to rebuild this entire computer. I plan on doing a bit more research during the time as well so I wont be so clueless.

Also, I do have blue endcap cables going to my monitor. So I guess this means VGA. Does this means any VGA card will fit?

Edit: Actually, I'll just go ahead and buy the one Guyverarmor suggested.

[Woozie]

Sorry to have to bump this, but I tried upgrading my RAM and it makes my computer not work.

Newegg.com - pqi POWER Series 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

I thought this was the right kind of RAM based on my motherboard. It actually fits into the slots just fine. But when I turn my computer on, I just get a black screen. My monitor power light stays yellow, as if the computer is off. What's wrong with this kind of RAM, and how do I make sure I get the right kind of RAM next time?

I did make sure that both sticks of the new RAM were in the same color slot that the old RAM was in (and of course, I removed the old RAM completely). My computer works just fine when I remove the new RAM and put the old RAM back in.

[Shuemue]

Try a single stick of the new RAM, then try the other stick solo

[guartz]

I just dont see where you can find Athlon x2 4800 939 for under $300.


however, that 3650 video card and maybe +1gig of ram (around 100$) will bring you into 20fps in fallout on medium settings...