Wishful thinking: computer upgrades

[illusionofjoy]

Once the Geeks give me back my computer, and once I am satisfied that they didn't actually make things worse in the process of removing the virus and furthermore, once I have more money to spend, I plan on upgrading my machine. I have a wishlist at newegg.com with a list of parts I'd like to buy. After I buy an upgraded anti-virus suite, my first plan of attack is to upgrade the data storage and retrieval capabilities of my machine. That is, I intend to get a 1TB hard drive to store my music (my session files and the MP3s ripped from my CD collection) and upgrade my RAM to 2GB, to speed up the processes (technically, my motherboard can handle 4GB of RAM, but it seems that they don't make compatible chipsets anymore which would allow such a configuration).

After I deal with that, in the slightly further future, I'd like to boost the graphical capabilities of the computer. My current monitor doesn't seem to have much time left, so I'd like to get a nice LCD flatscreen display. Of course, I think it pointless to get a new monitor when the graphics are being rendered by the on board chipset, so because I want things to look as pretty as possible (and prevent lot lag in The Sims 2), this means getting an accelerated graphics card.

It has come to my attention, however, that I can't seem to find a card that would be compatible with my motherboard. I'm running an Asus P4R800-V Deluxe motherboard; the specs state that the board can support an AGP 8X/4X (+1.5V) card. I'd like to get one manufactured by ATI, as they is the company that made the oneboard graphics chipset, leading me to believe that would reduce, if not nullify compatibiliy issues. The problem arises in that I can not seem to find cards rated 8X/4X - everything I've found is 16X. Something tells me that installing a card with a rating double that of what is recommended in the specs for my motherboard would be a Very Bad Thing, yes?

Comments

[absurdkarma.livejournal.com]

After I buy an upgraded anti-virus suite

Not necessary at all. Try Avast...it's reliable, easy to use and it's FREE. Also, I insist that you get Spybot S&D and learn how to use all of its features, then do so. These 2 powerful tools will keep you running smooth and cost $0.

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

I recommend the T1 drive, hell they are only a little over $100 now. Amazing.

Something tells me that installing a card with a rating double that of what is recommended in the specs for my motherboard would be a Very Bad Thing, yes?

Yes. You will surely have troubles. It may be worth buying a brand new bare-bones CPU and building it up from there (over time, to save money if you need to space out the purchases). That way, you'll have a machine that will be able to handle all the components you want.

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

I've been using AVG's free anti-virus software combined with Ad-Aware to combat the malware scourge. Does Avast actually work better than AVG (free or paid)? Also, is there any truth to the claims that you shouldn't run more than one anti-virus program at a time?

I was shocked when I saw that 1TB drives now cost what my 200GB drive cost four years ago. Part of me is tempted to just buy two 1TB drives, reinstall XP onto one of those and then restore my files from the DVDs the Geeks say they are going to back it up on (and lets hope my fears of them inadvertently backing up the virus are unfounded). Still, at this point, it's probably better that I just add the second drive and double my RAM.

Honestly, replacing my motherboard is at the top of the list of things I'd really rather not do right now. If I can't find a compatible graphics card, I can live without it like I've been doing. While I want my game to run better, for my purposes it's really more important that I have a high end sound card.

I'll give it a few more years before buying a new motherboard, because by then I'll likely be building an entirely new computer.

[absurdkarma.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Ad-Aware SUX compared to Spybot. All my uber techie friends use it over Ad-Aware religiously, as well as Avast.

I've heard mixed reviews about AVG. I've had Avast running on 3 machines for a little less than 2 years and no problems. But I am also super anal about updating my DAT files THEN running full scans. It makes no sense to even run scans if you are using outdated DAT files or an expired subscription (if you still pay for one).

Yes, having more than 1 anti-virus program is not a good idea. It can create conflicts in the registry. Same with too many "anti spyware / malware" programs or "PC cleaner" programs.

I swear by the cocktail of 1 anti-virus program and 1 anti-spyware program, and the ones I mentioned have worked really well for me and a dozen other PCs I've fixed in the past few years. As far as "cleaning" goes, running Disk Cleanup every week does the job just fine.

Yeah, I understand about your motherboard. Hmm. Well, in case you don't already do this, you should cross check prices, parts, etc from Newegg with Tiger Direct. I've found that sometimes one gives a better deal than the other (even tho I am a devoted Newegg customer).

Also, this crazy site cross-references online discount electronic merchandise by the minute and often they have computer components:
http://www.edealinfo.com/

That's actually how I ended up buying a super sweet laptop for $500.