I'm hoping someone with a bit more computer knowledge than I can give me some advice.

I'm looking to up my graphics card. My current card (Geforce...argh something, will update when I get home and can look at the specs) isn't really stacking up with the demand placed on it by games such as Halflife 2, World of Warcraft, and Guild wars (Eg. when I test the framerate in WoW it will flutter anywhere between 15 and 25, with 15 being too crappy to play and 25 being enough to get by). So, I'm looking into getting a new mid-level (as in, nothing overly expensive) card that will see me through my current games and future games to come for a while with a good framerate.

I am at work at the moment so I can't provide you with ant specs other than that the processor is P4 2400 and I run XP Pro .

Ask for specific specs if needed.

How much RAM do you have?

Anyway, you can pick up an ATI Radeon 9800 or 9800XT relatively cheaply now that the x800 and such are out. Those will run World of Warcraft and Half Life 2 quite well. As long as you have the other system specs to back it up.

Yeah, Tuek has it..Radeon9800XT is damn good with its driver system, and you could up your ram too if its too low. Also you should make sure you don't have too many backround programs going. There is an awsome tool called MEMTURBO that recovers ram for you without restarting your comp. I am not at home or I would post a link..anyways I suggest geting that too.

I have a 9800 and it is great. If you guys play Half Life 2 check out the mod I am working on Valandil

768 Mb of Ram.

I was actually thinking about the Radeon 9800 but I wasn't sure how it faired, I only know that all the cool kids (laugh) on WoW seem to recommend them.

I will check out that tool for RAM clearing and the H2 Mod tomorrow, thanks for the advice guys!

If you can manage it, throw in another 512 of ram... depending on your slot space. Too bad you're going mid-level as there's some really really really nice high end ones. I feel your pain though, I'm still waiting on someone to donate me one.

Heh, I went to the computer store near work yesterday and the guy tried to sell me a whole new freakin' mother board/processor/everything-he-had, when all I wanted to do was look at the Geforce 6800 series! Gah!

But yes, Like Raezon, I accept donations in all kinds of valuable items, stocks and bonds included.

Oh and btw, I lied, I have a 2.66 processor, not 2.4. I don't remember overclocking it, but I don't remember buying a 2.6, either. Meh.

Anyway, would another 512 RAM make a huge difference to game performance? The way I understand it, RAM can only take you so far before it is becomes up to other bits and pieces to do the dirty work.

But, meh, I think I have two slots free still, so it can't hurt to add some more.

EDIT: For those interested, my current card is a poor wittle Geforce 5200. It served me well, but it has done its time and deserves a quiet retirement in my brothers computer which currently runs an onboard graphics processor.

Lusternia doesn't needa graphics card... why upgrade?

I personally like the Geforce 6800 over the Radeon 9800 (I think that's the comparable one) but you need a bigger power supply for it.

I personally tried running Half-Life 2 on a Radeon 9600 with your same processor and a gig of ram and had serious problems at some points, with all of the specs.

Yeah the computer shop guy mentioned needing a more powerful processor for the 6800, which I think would mean an upgrade of my motherboard (how the heck do I check the model of the motherboard?). Hmm :/ What to do? I can go the Radeon and stick with my current processor, or go the 6800 (which I've read about and found a few makes that seem promising) and spend even more money upgrading. Argh!

Got your motherboard book still? That gives you the model but sometimes they cover a range of the same motherboard. IE 7N400, 7N400pro.
5200 are quite decent. Another question is, what CPU you have? If its a celeron that could be whats slowing you down.
You could try RAM first it isn't going to hurt. Lately its been sitting under $100 for generic.

What version of windows are you running?

Upgrading your motherboard means unscrewing the whole base board out of your computer after taking out all the modules (ram, video card, sound card) and then installing a whole new one and then plugging everything back in. The Pentium you have in there is probably a Socket 478 so he was trying to get you to buy a newer one that fits higher processors. Anyways, for games like you're talking about... you need both, at least a gig of ram to be safe and a nice video card. They balance each other out.

Ack did see that, no more reading and repling to forums in early morning..
Oh, another note that place you went to reminds me of Cherry Computers. Come in for a HDD walk out with a $1000 computer that you paid $2500 for