Hi all.

I hope i'm posting this in the correct section..but anyway.

This site contains all the info of my rig:

Compaq Presario SR1280UK Desktop PC - Product Specifications

i got it two years ago. and sinse then only upgrade ive brought is a new graphics card (ATI Radeon x1300, 512mb).

I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me what is the more recent Intel CPU's out there and would be better than my current one (and obviously would fit my motherboard)

i'd also like to buy an extra 1gig ram stick, its just i dunno where to start, i'm not really familiar with RAM (ive heard of Corsair...but are they any good?).

And finally, i'm thinking about upgrading the graphics card too, probably in the x1600/x1650 range (still ATI Radeon) do you think i'd notice any improvement from my current card (i'd still pick a card with 512mb minimum memory).

I'm sure its obvious, but i use my rig purely for games only . I probably come across as some rich git, but i swear i'm not, lol, i'm just thinking about upgrading sometime in the near future, most probably the RAM first, then graphics card, then CPU last.

Thanks for any replies, i really appreciate it.

Welcome to PCHF Thingamajig!
CPU: Get an Intel Core2Duo very fast atm for a small price (the latest is the QX6700 but is £750!) .The E6300 c2d is a good processor for a small price.

RAM: For RAM you would need to get PC3200 184-PIN DDR SDRAM. Corsair is a good make but i wouldnt go for any value ranges.

GPU: There is quite a difference in them two cards just look here for benchmarks comparing the two cards:

Tom's Hardware Guide Processors: VGA Charts

Thanks for the quick reply .

I have a few more questions:

Firstly, if i update my BIOS and reformat, i dont need to run the same exe (same version of BIOS update) again after ive reinstalled windows do i?.

my second question is kinda the same as above, but instead of bios its chipset drivers.

Oh, and i dont spose you know of a way which would make hunting down my bios and chipset driver updates easier would you?.

While i was searching the web for some RAM, i found this site:

Memory upgrades, graphics cards, flash media, and usb storage at Crucial.com

I let it scan my system so it could find memory which would be compatible with my rig....one thing bothers me though - it says that i have to install matching pairs.

i currently have two 512mb ram sticks in my pc, and i planned on buying one 1 gig stick totalling it to 2gb of ram but this site suggests that i buy either 2x1gigs or 2x512mb sticks (i have four slots, so its not like i dont have the room) its just i thought it would be slower if i had two 512mb sticks instead of it all in a 1 gig stick....am i right in thinking that?.

Again - thanks alot for any help.

i wouldn't have thought you have to install matching pairs thats just for dual channel which will make it faster.

Im not sure about updating the bios is it neccessary because if its fine now then theres no need it can mess up sometimes.

Crucial is a good site for RAM. To find BIOS updates you would need to go to the manufacturer's website of the motherboard and maybe the pc.

The last time I updated my Motherbard's BIOS, my PC completely broke.

Yep you have got to be careful and flashing isnt a very wise thing if it isnt needed.