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Question

what do i need for upgrade

May 21, 2013 5:27AM PDT

Hi i wonder if anyone would be good enough to give me some pointers on what i need to upgrade my desktop PC , I want to upgrade it to play games such as the new world of Warcraft releases. I installed cataclysm and it ran but it was jumpy when moving and not playable. i am able to play wrath of the lich king OK though. I dont have loads of money so if i can upgrade on a budget or if someone can tell me if i can buy 1 thing at a time.I will leave my computer details here i hope that i put the relevant details.
. model = hp G5200uk Windows 7
. processor = AMD Athlon II X2 220 2.80GHz
. installed memory RAM = 3GB
. system type = 64 bit operating system
. display /chip type = NVIDIA Geforce 6150se nforce 430
. dac type = integrated ramdac.

any input would be most welcome

Discussion is locked

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Answer
2 steps
May 21, 2013 7:31AM PDT
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1 quick question
May 21, 2013 9:51AM PDT

can i possibly just ask you 1 more question, are you saying i need purchase 1 of the products from each link.and i guess 1 a graphics card and 1 is a memory boost? thanks so much for your time i appreciate it greatly.

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Answer
May 21, 2013 10:25AM PDT

You need a video card and ram.
I just provided links where you can purchase each.
If you have a different source......that's fine.

I suggest you do this one at a time and test.

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Answer
(NT) What's the budget ?
May 21, 2013 9:59AM PDT
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ideally
May 22, 2013 7:49AM PDT

i would ideally like to spend about £80 or $200, but if i can pay less and get decent results then thats ok. i dont want a pc to launch space missions just to be able to comfortably run new mmorpg . what would you suggest

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Here's the approach I'd follow....
May 25, 2013 4:53AM PDT

Focusing on the video card (GPU) requirements for the game(s) you want to run, check the link below to see what video cards are recommended as best value for gaming at the various price ranges.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

Once you've picked out the GPUs that are powerful enough to run the games you want, then see what the power supply (PSU) requirement is. If you're PSU is powerful enough.....then you just buy the video card (GPU) and install it. If it's not powerful enough, then you'll also have to get a power supply with enough juice to run your system including the new GPU.

VAPCMD

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Answer
Upgrading ...
May 25, 2013 6:17AM PDT

As noted already, upgrading the graphics card will be the single most effective upgrade. I would suggest something along the lines of a Radeon 7770 or nVidia GeForce 650 Ti for right around $100 in the US, not sure across the pond.

Be certain to check your systems power when doing so as the video card itself will be pulling about 150 watts MORE than your old card and this could overwelm your power supply requiring another upgrade.

Determining your budget after that would tell you the next upgrade. Assuming you have an open slot on the motherboard for more memory (or pulling a smaller chip to install new) would be the next most inexpensive upgrade, but upgrading the CPU might have more impact. You said you have 3 gigs now, so I am guessing you have two slots,, one with 2 gig and one with 1 gig. Purchasing a single 4gb stick and replacing the 1GB would be your best choice there and 6 gigs will be more than ample for you. Beyond that, look at what CPU's your motherboard can afford and purchase the best one you can get for your budget.

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According to the Crucial specs,that PC is maxed out at 4GB
May 25, 2013 11:49AM PDT

Here's the link...

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=HP%20G5200uk&Cat=RAM

"Memory:
DDR3 PC3-10600, DDR3 PC3-12800

Memory Type: DDR3 PC3-10600, DDR3 PC3-12800, DDR3 (non-ECC)
Maximum Memory: 4GB
Slots: 2

Although the memory can be installed one module at a time, the best performance comes from using matched pairs of modules.

How much memory your Windows OS will recognize depends on which version of Windows you are running. 32-bit versions of Windows will see (and utilize) only 3GB or 3.5GB. To utilize more memory, install a 64-bit version of your OS. More information about OS memory maximums can be found here.

Memory or DRAM is the "working" memory of the computer. It's used to store data for programs (sequences of instructions) on a temporary basis."

VAPCMD