Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
im not sure of my current spec atm as im at work (can update the thread) when i get home. so i suppose no one can really help me much atm.
but i want to upgrade
ram from 2gb to 4gb,
graphics card so it can run 2 monitors,
make it run a bit cooler (assume more fans).
thats all really but would i need any other parts to do the above?
like i said ill update the thread when i get home with my current spec.
Current Spec
-Asus Vintage V2 M2V890 Barebone System - AMD Socket
-AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHZ (Socket AM2)
-Vista Home premium 64bit
-OcUK GForce 8400 GS256MB DDR2 HDTV/DVI
-Corsair 1GB DDR2 Value Select PC2 - 4200C5 Dual Channel
(means sod all to me  )
[Edited on 18-12-2008 by Matt L]
[Edited on 18-12-2008 by Matt L]
|
Liam
Member
Registered: 19th Jan 06
Location: Stafford
User status: Offline
|
Have you got vista? Cause I thought XP will only recognise 2gb of RAM? unless its the 64-bit version..
A better designed case might be better than more fans, i've got a antec 900 case. its got 4 fans in it, and I never have any over heating problems with it.
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
got vista 64bit iirc.
mines never overheated, but i just dont want it running too hot lol
|
DannyB
Premium Member
Registered: 6th Feb 08
User status: Offline
|
XP recognises 3.6gb I think.
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
Any 32-bit OS can only recognize up to 4GB but this has to include other things like the graphics memory and iirc the Virtual Memory, so you won't usually get anything more than something like 3.2GB showing up, even if you have 4 installed. If you have Vista 64-bit then you may as well call it unlimited memory.
How much memory you can put in depends on your motherboard, but most fairly new ones will cope with anything from 4 to 32GB maximum.
Once you put up what graphics card you have now then we can help further with that, but you should have PCI-e x16 if it's less than a couple of years old, which means you can put in pretty much anything you like, you are only restricted by your power supply and your processor. The power supply is more important as you will need to be able to power the card, but the processor can have a "bottleneck" effect if the graphics card is too powerful for it, essentially restricting performance.
Cooling depends on more than just how many fans you have, a large factor is the air flow. If you have more air coming in the front than going out the back, then it just builds up and warms up. If you have (lots) more going out the back than coming in the front, then you can get pockets that heat up a lot, quite often around the graphics card. As an example, I have a fan in the top of my case. It came with it pointing inwards, but seeing as hot air rises it was just pushing the hot air back in as opposed to letting it out, so I flipped it over and my case temperature dropped several degrees.
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
DannyB
Premium Member
Registered: 6th Feb 08
User status: Offline
|
Can't you use up to 128gb on 64 bit vista?
|
PhilC
Member
Registered: 21st Jan 06
Location: Lancs, UK
User status: Offline
|
32bit OSs cannot address more than 2.7GB RAM
64bit is something like 128GB.
Correct me if i'm wrong...
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
all currents bits are a year old as i got it last xmas, like i said ill update the thread later with my actual spec.
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
64-bit anything can recognize more than retail motherboards will currently take which is why I said "may as well call it unlimited". I think it is something like 128GB, yes.
However I do know that 32-bit can have more than 2.7GB RAM installed. It is definitely at least 3.2, although it depends how much memory your graphics card has etc. The reason it can only see this much is because of the amount of available binary code, but I can't remember the maths to work it out right now.
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
Jules
Member
Registered: 26th Nov 04
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Status: Happy
User status: Offline
|
You can get 4GB (2x2GB) of DDR2 800 RAM for about £40-£50 for a brand name, it's currently cheap as, well, chips!
As for the GFX card, I've just slapped a nVidia 9800GT (1GB version) in mine and it's ace, runs WoW on full settings with no problems at all, want to also go duel monitor when I can find one but have no doubts it can manage it - cost me about £150
As for cooling, if it's running fine now then there's no reason to change anything I wouldn't of thought, the better way would be to wait until you want to upgrade your mobo/cpu then maybe look at a better case or maybe water-cooling if you're that fussed
I run a Thermaltake Sviking case with it's standard case fans (1 front and 1 rear), a standard Intel CPU fan that comes with the retail CPU's and a triple fan PSU - currently reading my CPU temperature at 28.6deg C (the case has a digi display to monitor it), obviously the GFX card has it's own cooling fan.
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
I think I got my RAM for about £30, and it's pretty high end stuff I reckon. You'd be better off with 4x1GB because the PC finds the data it wants easier. A bit of a random way of putting it but think of going fishing ( ). In this case you could have two large lakes, or four smaller ones. You will be able to get some fish quicker with the smaller ones because you have less area to look round, just like with having 4 sticks of RAM instead of 2 
[Edited on 17-12-2008 by Daveskater]
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
i've just had a quick look at bits and these are what i have found so far.
Corsair 2*2GB ram
Asus Geforce 9600 dual dvi
peoples opinions? and more importantly once i get home can someone let me know if they will work with my excisting system.
[Edited on 17-12-2008 by Matt L]
|
Planty02
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 05
Location: Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
|
i suspect your current motherboard will only support up to 2gb 
for general info, its an entry level AMD asus Board that came with a bare bones system. Cant remember whether it is socket 939 or AM2 thought (got a sneaking suspision its 939)
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
That RAM looks alright, and the 9600 is a good GPU, but I've never heard of the GSO model.
With a graphics card like that you'll have to check your power supply as I don't think it's light on the juice.
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
Jules
Member
Registered: 26th Nov 04
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Status: Happy
User status: Offline
|
If it's skt939 it'll probably only take 2GB total, no point hunting for another skt939 board that will take more as the skt939 is old technology now, that then means a new mobo and cpu - same situation I had last week! lol
|
Planty02
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 05
Location: Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Jules
If it's skt939 it'll probably only take 2GB total, no point hunting for another skt939 board that will take more as the skt939 is old technology now, that then means a new mobo and cpu - same situation I had last week! lol
overclockers.co.uk sell a skt939 board that will take 4gb for around £50 
EDIT: although a new case will probably be needed as his current case is quite small
[Edited on 17-12-2008 by Planty02]
|
Jules
Member
Registered: 26th Nov 04
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Status: Happy
User status: Offline
|
Still be a old skt939 cpu though, then when time comes to upgrade that it'll be mobo and cpu time all over again!
The joys of PC upgrading
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
edited to include current spec
|
Planty02
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 05
Location: Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Matt L
Current Spec
-Asus Vintage V2 M2V890 Barebone System - AMD Socket
-AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHZ (Socket AM2)
-Vista Home premium 64bit
-OcUK GForce 8400 GS256MB DDR2 HDTV/DVI
-Corsair 1GB DDR2 Value Select PC2 - 4200C5 Dual Channel
(means sod all to me )
[Edited on 18-12-2008 by Matt L]
[Edited on 18-12-2008 by Matt L]
I'm sure thats not the RAM thats in there now, after all the refunds/dicking about. Did you get this info from the invoices?
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
yeh got the ram from the other invoices not the original.
and yeh wouldnt suprise me ill check in a sec and see.
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
ok feck knows what ram it is as the invoice i got that off is the same as what the original said 
|
Planty02
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 05
Location: Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
|
Don't think we got an invoice for the last exchange matt
Right click on "Computer" and check the spec in there 
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
where would said spec be?? i had an attempt and nothing came up saying *show ram spec*
|
Planty02
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 05
Location: Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
|
Can't remember on vista 
|
Matt L
Member
Registered: 17th Apr 06
User status: Offline
|
failz??
|
