Ask A Geek

Q: I am thinking about buying a new computer. I will be using this computer for Home Use, Microsoft Office Software Applications, Internet and Games with Windows XP Professional.

I know I want to stick with an Intel processor, Intel (or compatible) motherboard, 2 or 3 PCI Express expansion slots, at least 2GB of RAM, SATA hard drive, at least 4 USB (2.0) and a 512 MB ATI or Nvidia video card.

I was hoping to be able to order these parts off of newegg.com and assemble the computer myself. However, when I started looking at parts I discovered that I have been out of the loop of computers for a little too long and some questions popped up. As a result, I need to get some advise from someone that has been in the loop on the changes and current trends in the computer world.

The questions I have are:

1) Currently, what are/is a good chipset for Core 2 Duo Intel processor(s)?

2) Will I need Hardware Virtualization Support?

3) With current trends, is it best to go ahead and go for DDR3 memory module or go with a DDR2?

4) Is there anything else that you can think of on changes in the computer world that I need to be aware of? I have been out of the loop since like 2004.

Q: I have an old P4 desktop that had 256MB DDR PC2100 ram. Can I mix it with 512MB DDR PC2700 ram or will it cause a problem? It runs on Windows XP.

Q: My computer is about 5 years old. It has a 1.2GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 38 GB hard drive that shows as half full. How do I improve its speed?

A: Everyone wants to tweak their computers to get the best speed out of them, especially computers that are a few years old. The biggest questions becomes, is the cost of upgrading and the improvement in speed worth the money or would the money be better spent on a new computer.

In your case, since you only have 512 MB of RAM, there is a chance that spending $30.00 or so to upgrade to 1 GB of RAM would improve your speed. It is hard to tell if it would improve it enough to make you happy though. I would opt for trying the RAM if I had a friend with some extra RAM lying around but I don’t think I would opt for the RAM option in your case if it cost money. The reason for this is that a 1.2 GHz processor is between 1/3 to 1/2 the speed of most the processors you will find in the $400.00 desktops that are flooding the market. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: I am wondering if laptop parts can be used in desktop computers? I have a laptop that just broke but it is an issue with the power supply not with any of the components in the laptop itself. I want to know if I can take a lot of parts and use them in this old desktop that I have.

A: Most laptops today have the majority of their parts integrated into the motherboard with the exception of the DVD drive and the hard drive. The hard drive is smaller than a desktop hard drive so you would need to use something like this Startech BRACKET25 2.5″ to 3.5″ Hard Drive Adapter kit so that it could fit in your desktop computer. You would probably need a similar adaptor to get the DVD drive to work as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: I want to upgrade my old PC by adding more RAM. The problem is I have no idea what kind of RAM it needs. I know there are many types of RAMs DDR, DDR2 and what not so which type should I buy?

I currently have single chip with 512MB so I am wondering if it would be okay to install 256MB or if I would have to install 512MB like the first one?

I am running Windows XP Pro and the motherboard is a ASRock K8Upgrade-NF3 (4 PCI, 1 AGP, 1 Future CPU Port, 2 DDR DIMM, Audio, LAN).

A: Based on the information from your motherboard, your system has 2x DDR DIMM slots and supports DDR400/333/266 non-ECC, un-buffered memory. In non-geek terms this means you need DDR RAM, and that 400, 333 or 266 will work.

A 256meg stick should work but the prices on the older DDR RAM are very low. You can buy a new stick of 512meg for only $10-$20 US. You will see more of an increase in performance going from 512MB to 1GB than from 512MB to 768MB.

You can find examples of what RAM will work at NewEgg.com.

Q: I want to upgrade my old PC by adding more RAM (256 or 521). The problem is that I’m new at hardware and stuff. I know there are many types of RAMs DDR, DDR2 and what not so which type should I buy?

Also I currently have single chip with 512MB. If I insert lets say 256 next to it will it work, or does it has to be 512MB like the first one?

This is my system report.

Q: I have recently brought some new ram for my computer but I can’t seem to get it to run. I did a scan of my computer and these are the results:

System Manufacturer: GBT___
System Model: NVDAACPI
Motherboard Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Motherboard Model: M55S-S3

Your Computer Specifications

1024 MB DDR PC2-5300
EMPTY
EMPTY
EMPTY

Maximum Memory Capacity: 2097152 MB
Currently Installed Memory: 1024 MB
Available Memory Slots: 3
Total Memory Slots: 4
Dual Channel Support: N.A.
CPU Manufacturer: AuthenticAMD
CPU Family: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ Model 11, Stepping 2
CPU Speed: 2010 MHz

The new ram I am trying to install was listed on ebay as this:
2GB PC2-5300 667MHZ 667 5400 DDR2 DDR-2 RAM MEMORY 2G.

When I removed the 1gb ram that i have in currently and put in the new stick it loaded up to the boot screen that gives you the option of going into bios etc. but freezes up as soon as it lists my processor type. I cant use any of the key options available i.e del / f10.

Is this just because it isn’t compatible? Althought I would’ve thought if this was the case it wouldn’t have loaded up at all.

I am running Windows XP.

Q: I just bought a game called Empire total war. I have 2GB of RAM and a Q6600 nvidia quad core and a 9300 GTX graphics card and I just wanted to know what would make my game run smoother? RAM or processor?

Q: Will 2GB of RAM sufficiently speed up a Windows XP computer?

A: Increasing your RAM will help you with general home computing tasks like editing and creating documents, e-mail, and web browsing. An upgrade to 2GB of RAM for a computer you’ve had for 2-3 years will give you a nice performance boost for a very low price. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: Will 2GB of ram sufficiently speed up a windows xp computer?