i need some help please- need to uprade my pc, cos i love it

macman

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listparts.aspx?model=Pavilion%20424.uk
So adding another 1GB of RAM would cost you £28.19. Maximum is 2GB. You've almost certainly got 1x512MB and 1x256MB already installed. Remove the smaller one, add 1GB and you've then got 1.5GB-double the RAM. Pick up a cheap graphics card (guessing under £20 on eBay or at a computer fair) and you've got a decent upgrade for under £50.
And installing this stuff is vastly easier than building flat pack furniture...usually a couple of screws to remove the cover, then the RAM and cards just slide and clip in and out.
If you really can't do it, (but you can) a local PC shop (not PCW please) will fit them for about £25-£30.

hostertlady

GunJack wrote: »

get the hoover on it when you've got the case open for the RAM and gfx card...it's probably just dusted-up

i will do that, how exciting, new challenge for me, with help from you lot of course,

watch this space!

hostertlady

macman wrote: »

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listparts.aspx?model=Pavilion%20424.uk
So adding another 1GB of RAM would cost you £28.19. Maximum is 2GB. You've almost certainly got 1x512MB and 1x256MB already installed. Remove the smaller one, add 1GB and you've then got 1.5GB-double the RAM. Pick up a cheap graphics card (guessing under £20 on eBay or at a computer fair) and you've got a decent upgrade for under £50.
And installing this stuff is vastly easier than building flat pack furniture...usually a couple of screws to remove the cover, then the RAM and cards just slide and clip in and out.
If you really can't do it, (but you can) a local PC shop (not PCW please) will fit them for about £25-£30.

just had a look at that site thanks, they look quite scary how would you fit it? and what would happen when i remove the smaller one? would i just put the bigger one in its place?

pompeyfaith

Here you go a video tutorial

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-install-more-memory-in-my-computer

pompeyfaith

And another for the graphics card

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-install-or-change-my-computers-graphics-card

PF

hostertlady

pompeyfaith wrote: »

Here you go a video tutorial

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-install-more-memory-in-my-computer

wow thats fab, but anti static wrist strap?

macman

hostertlady wrote: »

just had a look at that site thanks, they look quite scary how would you fit it? and what would happen when i remove the smaller one? would i just put the bigger one in its place?

Your PC has 2 RAM slots. So in this instance you remove the smaller RAM chip (256MB) and replace it with the larger 1GB one, thus doubling your memory. This is assuming both slots are full-if you run the Crucial scanner it will tell you for sure.
Anti-static wrist band is not essential, just touch a metal object (radiator is good) before you start to avoid any static. This is to protect the PC, not you.

hc25036

A small piece of extra advice to add to the excellent contributions so far. If you follow the videojug video:

1. Don't expect the descriptions to be exactly the same as yours - the clips on your memory slots may not be white for instance. You may need to check the manual for that.

2. Memory modules have a small slot in the bottom that needs to be matched with a peg on the memory slot it goes into (it is off-centre)

3. To get your old modules out, push the clip away from the slot and the chip will lift out

4. When putting the new module in make sure it slides into the slots in each clip

Finally - when following the advice to replace the "smaller" chip with a "larger" one, you will find that the modules are exactly the same physical size! You will need to look at the text on the modules to work out which one is which. In fact, rather than 1 x 512 and 1 x 256 modules, you may well have just 1 x 1gigabyte chip (with the "missing" 256Mb being used by the system). Don't get confused if there's only one module in there - just thank your lucky stars and bung the other one in!

It is dead easy, and you can always come back here if anything looks odd!

DazedAndConfuzed

hostertlady wrote: »

i will do that, how exciting, new challenge for me, with help from you lot of course,

watch this space!

I've just upgraded my RAM, Motherboard, Processor and Graphics Card (with a fair bit of help from people on here) and it's not as scary as you think it'll be!

The main problems I encountered were not making note of what cables connected to what when I took things out, and some things were a little bit fiddly with my fat fingers, but it was all pretty easy. I just worked to the rule that if it didnt feel like it was going to fit, don't force it!

You'll be fine, just give it a go and ask any questions on here, people are really helpful :beer:

hostertlady

hc25036 wrote: »

each clip

Finally - when following the advice to replace the "smaller" chip with a "larger" one, you will find that the modules are exactly the same physical size! You will need to look at the text on the modules to work out which one is which. In fact, rather than 1 x 512 and 1 x 256 modules, you may well have just 1 x 1gigabyte chip (with the "missing" 256Mb being used by the system). Don't get confused if there's only one module in there - just thank your lucky stars and bung the other one in!

It is dead easy, and you can always come back here if anything looks odd!

the computer came with 256 and i had another 512 added a while back..