Possible to upgrade 2005 windows xp computer.

[elricik]

First off, I don't know anything about computers. I want to upgrade my computer to play new games that have come out. The only problem is, I haven't bought a computer since 2005, its a windows XP home edition. So I figure that its cheaper to just upgrade a computer system instead of buying a new one. However, while doing research of my own, I read that some older systems were impossible to upgrade. I was wondering if mine is to old to upgrade. I'm pretty sure I only need to upgrade my RAM and graphics card. I have an external hard drive connected to my computer, and together with my internal hard drive I have 90GB of space, so I don't think I have to upgrade my hard drive. I also don't think I need to upgrade my sound card. So, getting back to my original question, does anybody know if its even possible for me to upgrade my computer?

 

[BlueMage]

The extent of your upgrades will be limited, mostly be motherboard at this point (2005 means you pretty much can't use any of the Core 2 line up of chips (yes, I assume Intel)) and if you're going to swap out the motherboard, you may as well get a whole new system.

If you were only going to use this machine for internet/email/word processing or you otherwise wished to breath new life into older hardware, there are plenty of different linux flavours available for that. But for games, you will best be served by consulting some knowledgeable friends and buying a new machine. Take heart, Windows 7 is almost here, and most major manufacturers offer a free upgrade path.

 

[DoctorWhat]

RAM and graphics cards do provide a huge boost, but 2005... you may need to buy a new one.

I'm assuming you're not using a laptop, cos they're fecking IMPOSSIBLE to upgrade most of the time...

Could you post your current specs and the games you want to play? That would help us give you advice.

 

[Horticulture]

First off, I don't know anything about computers. I want to upgrade my computer to play new games that have come out. The only problem is, I haven't bought a computer since 2005, its a windows XP home edition. So I figure that its cheaper to just upgrade a computer system instead of buying a new one. However, while doing research of my own, I read that some older systems were impossible to upgrade. I was wondering if mine is to old to upgrade. I'm pretty sure I only need to upgrade my RAM and graphics card. I have an external hard drive connected to my computer, and together with my internal hard drive I have 90GB of space, so I don't think I have to upgrade my hard drive. I also don't think I need to upgrade my sound card. So, getting back to my original question, does anybody know if its even possible for me to upgrade my computer?

What are the specs of your computer currently? Run DxDiag if you don't know (start>run>type 'dxdiag' and hit enter). It'd also be helpful to know the specs of your power supply (there might be a sticker on the back of your PC near where you plug in the power cable), your RAM standard (DDR, DDR2, etc.) and if you have PCI-express or AGP for your video card.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

On the topic of upgrades, anyone know of a place that sells nvidia GTX series cards for less then several hundred dollars?

 

[Horticulture]

On the topic of upgrades, anyone know of a place that sells nvidia GTX series cards for less then several hundred dollars?

Newegg. [http://www.newegg.com] (GTX260s~$150)