BleepingComputer.com: Help with Graphics update

I want to upgrade my computer to the best of everything that my motherboard supports. I already got help with which processor will be best, and the next thing on the list is the graphics. I need advice and help on which graphics card is the best for my pc.

The pc I'm trying to update is a HP 304w

Model Number
DB282A

Processor
Athlon (T) XP1800+ 1.53 Ghz /w QuantiSpeed Architecture
Advanced 266 Mhz FSB
Socket A
Upgrading to:
Athlon XP2400+

Chipset
VIA KM 266

MotherBoard
Manufacturer's name - FIC AM37
HP/Compaq name - Salsa
Motherboard Supplier FIC
Motherboard Name AM37
System BIOS Supplier Award
Form Factor uATX
Processor Brand AMD
Processor Socket Type Socket-A (PGA462)
Processor Family Duron, Athlon, AthlonXP
Proc. Front Side Bus Freq. 200/266 MHz
Chipset Name VIA KM266
Chipset "North Bridge" n/a
Revision/stepping A1
Chipset "South Bridge" VT8235
Super I/O ITE-IT8705F
Flash BIOS Device Xbus 2 Mbit
Memory Type DDR
Memory Speed PC2100/PC1600
Memory Sockets 2 DIMM
Maximum Memory 2 GB
Graphics Supplier VIA
Graphics Configuration Down, In Chipset
Onboard Graphics Memory UMA 64 MB

Memory
Type DDR SDRAM
Speed Supported PC2100 / PC1600

Video Graphics
Integrated in Via KM 266 Chipset

If that isn't sufficient information to provide a good match then please let me know, and I'll be happy to get what you need.

This post has been edited by LedBakery: 08 December 2008 - 12:36 PM

It looks like you are going to be very limited as to what you can use for a graphics card since that motherboard only has a AGP slot and 3 PCI slots.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documen...ocname=bph07941

I'm not trying to get the best of the best, but the best for this motherboard. I need to know what kinds of graphic cards are compatible with this motherboard. The site you linked me to is where I got the specs I posted in first post.

An ATI Radeon HD 3850 is probably the best you can get for AGP. You will need a 450 watt power supply for this.

I have a GeForce 5200FX (AGP 4X) that I'd be willing to let go for really cheap.

I think I'm just going to invest in a new system.

If you're a fan of building systems, but don't want to completely start from scratch, or are on a tight budget, try a "barebones" system.
http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.aspx?...-Mini-Computers

Why a mini-computer? You won't get the same performance with one. Building a new PC, from scratch, is not that difficult if you have a passing familiarity with the parts. If you decide to build or purchase a new one, let us know and we will help you pick out what you need.

That's just a link to the whole bare-bones section. It just happens to use that name.

What do you think of this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16856167030

Barebones is just that, you still need to purchase RAM, a good video card, CPU, and drives. If you're going to go through all that hassle, you might as well purchase your own case and motherboard. Given the cheap price of the barebones system, the motherboard and power supply is probably not that good. If you do decide to build your own PC, what is your price range and what will the PC be used for?

$700ish. Mainly for games, MMOGs

I wasn't planning to upgrade this pc with brand new parts. I know a guy with a ton of parts that sells pretty cheap, and if this one can do what I need to it while upgraded then there's no point in giving into a new one just yet.

This post has been edited by LedBakery: 09 December 2008 - 09:43 PM

It's probably a good start. If you go that route, you can probably reuse at least your Hard Drive, but you will need RAM and a CPU. I recommend the E2200: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16819116063

and this ram should be a good start:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820145184

If you mail in that rebate, you'll be right at $200 bucks and have plenty of room to upgrade in the future. Those quad cores keep coming down! or for about $15 more you can get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16819116072

You will need to have a 64-bit OS in order to use all 4 GB of RAM. That is a good dual-core but you will need a decent motherboard, power supply, hard drives, optical drives, and video card. The CPU listed is not one of the newer 45nm models, but those might be out of your price range.

This post has been edited by DJBPace07: 09 December 2008 - 09:57 PM

Looks like that bare bones comes with the power supply, and the MB has a vid card on it. Although of course you'll want to upgrade those, you can probably also get away with reusing a few parts from your old system. That's what I had to do... Had my sights on all kinds of parts but when the economy went south, so did my paycheck... Had to make due with what I already had and only make modest improvements. Either way, good luck!