Psu

Visited my local PC World and they said i needed a new GRAphics card, RAM Memory and PSU.

Just wanted to ask how do you check your PSU and are there any safety things you have to take into account while doing it?

Why did you need that? Are your current GFX card, RAM and PSU defective? Or is it that you need to upgrade the memory and GFX card and therefore need a new PSU to deliver enough power to a new powerhungry GFX card?

PSU is rated by the power it supplies. If you upgrade say the graphic card then you may need more power

If I was you I'd decide what you want the system to do then see a local computer shop/repair place. They will likely be more informative, more helpful and cheaper

I can see how they can say what you need until yousay what you want the pc to do.

Once they give you a price look at how much a new system (no monitor would cost and what its spec is). I personally would recommend you avoid PC world unless desperate or nothing else is around

As a former operations manager for Dixons International Plc I can advise you never to take their advice on anything, especially regarding upgrades and security. The staff in store usually have no more advanced product knowledge than your average teenager (in many distressing cases I dealt with, they didn't have any whatsoever) and sales and sales commission is the impetus, not customer satisfaction. They also have a massive gulf between their store retail industry and their after sales support industry, which causes yet more unspeakable problems with customer care and warranty obligations. Best avoid them completely and do your own research online. If possible I recommend you use etailers like Ebuyer.co.uk with next day delivery and no quibble RMA. You can learn a lot from hardware sites like Tech Report and Tom's Hardware.

Failing that just ask on forums like these. There's usually plenty of people around who can offer very sound advice on a par or more frequently exceeding any you would get from a man on £5.60 an hour in PC World.

PS: They are likely going to go under or completely restructure/outsource their after sales in the very near future. Much of it has already been unloaded on Capita (ack). So beware any long term financial commitments such as their Mastercare or Coverplan options.

Cheers guys , i said i wanted a new GFX Card, More RAM and They said i needed a new PSU.

I said i wanted ones that would cover Football manger 2009

They said:

GFX Card: £80

More RAM: £22 (512mb)

PSU: £45

plus the game £35 & intall it all £30

I thought that is a rip off what do you guys think?

Also guys just bear in mind i am not wanting the best graphics card out just one that will play it even just on 2D. no more than £40

Cheers guys , i said i wanted a new GFX Card, More RAM and They said i needed a new PSU.

I said i wanted ones that would cover Football manger 2009

They said:

GFX Card: £80

More RAM: £22 (512mb)

PSU: £45

plus the game £35 & intall it all £30

I thought that is a rip off what do you guys think?

you have got to be careful that your processor is not crap as well they will try to sell you all that but it could end up being window dressing if your processor is not good so find out what your processor is first then see if its worth upgrading everything or just starting fresh with a new system

Ok, what GFX card was that? Looking at the pricetag I guess it is a GF8 series and then you will probably need a new PSU as the 8-series can draw 150W alone, and if your PC is several years old it probably only have a 200-250W PSU

You should open the case and read on the PSU.

Also do you know how powerful the new PSU they tried to sell you was?

Did they look at your computer or did they just out of the blue claim you needed a new PSU? If it is a branded PC like HP,Dell,IBM or so you probably need a new PSU, they don't have a habit of using overpowered PSU's.

2gb of branded ram £28

Cheap Nvidia gpu (many to chose from) suitable for FM 09: £28

Extra Value 500w PSU: £23.40 (Almost certainly not required to upgrade an AGP gpu)

(all from Ebuyer.co.uk)

Copy of FM 2009 from Amazon.co.uk £25.50

Total waste of money buying from PC World? Around 140%

Fitted by a teenager from Slough with no warranty whatsoever on his work: Priceless

Cost of a brand new quad core system from almost any OEM? £430 delivered inc VAT (you can buy a Core Duo notebook that will do FM fine for less than £400)

Shop around.

Thanks for your help guys.

What is that graphics card Les Girondins? is it 128mb or more? TBH i just want one at £40 max that would run it well without glitches so that one or any other reccomendations?

Also i probably don't even know if i need that much RAM! Is there specific types of RAM that would work with certain systems?

And did you say i probs wouldn't need a new PSU with that graphics card? - BTW the PSU they tried to sell me was 450w.

Cheers for your help guys - the help is greatly appreciated.

Can you tell us what make/model your PC is?

Can't really give you any help until we know what it is capable of.

You need the correct type of RAM yes. Depending on your computer you either have SDRAM,DDR or DDR2 but thats hard to know as you have given us very little information on your old computer and the new **** they try to sell you.

Do you know roughly how old the computer is? SDRAM usually cost more than the faster DDR and DDR2 because it is not being produced anymore.

You can never get to much RAM for FM

This may sound like the most stupid question ever but how do you find out the exact make and model of my PC.

BTW it is around 4 years old but i don't have enough money to upgrade fully.

You need the correct type of RAM yes. Depending on your computer you either have SDRAM,DDR or DDR2 but thats hard to know as you have given us very little information on your old computer and the new **** they try to sell you.

Do you know roughly how old the computer is? SDRAM usually cost more than the faster DDR and DDR2 because it is not being produced anymore.

You can never get to much RAM for FM

You gonna sort this chap out Butters? Doesn't seem much point us both going at it.

Well. It should say something like HP pavillion 783 , Dell dimension 5150 or IBM T-40 or something.

This may sound like the most stupid question ever but how do you find out the exact make and model of my PC.

BTW it is around 4 years old but i don't have enough money to upgrade fully.

You could try right clicking on My Computer, and selecting properties. Fwiw I agree with Les Gridirons, don't listen to anything you get told by those monkeys in PC World. Far better to ask on here and we can help you with any computer problems. I've build and sold PCs, and have recently moved to IT (though I'm only just studying my MCSE, so am still a relative novice in that field), and there are loads of people who are very knowledgeable who can help you - we'll save you a packet compared to what you'll be recommended by PC World staff.

I think he should just take your first advice, go to a computer repair shop and get an offer from them I'm going to bed soon and this seems it could take a while

Nice Gill, I got the Microsost Certified System Engineer certification in 2002, not to brag, but it was alot harder then, they have lowered the requirements 2 times since then

Nice Gill, I got the Microsost Certified System Engineer certification in 2002, not to brag, but it was alot harder then, they have lowered the requirements 2 times since then

It's probably harder if you're studying for your MCSE with only 6 days of working in IT under your belt as I am.

That help?

Very useful that. If you look on the back of the tower the model name and id will be printed on there. Along with the S/N.

I would guess you have DDR(1). For that computer I would ask for a Nvidia Geforece 7900 or equal ati card.

About memory you also need to check if you have any free dimm slots (memory slots) You probably have 2x 256MB dimms there and your motherboard might only have 2 dimm slots. If so you cant upgrade memory without throwing out the old sticks. And you have a onboard gfx card that uses 32mb of the system memory atm.

Bring the computer to a computer repairshop. Say you want a 1gb dimm if there are free memory slots. if not get 2x1gb dimms, ask for the GF7900 and a new PSU. Say you want this as cheap as possible.

I know it is a Packard Bell 551,

on the back it says....

Model/type: UTOW - FRA

MS WHOL N: FRA 1039023

S/N: 049088120319

PID: 0490881

P/N: PB34217001

That's all.

And Butters 76 i did something on crucial.com and this is what it said http://www.crucial.com/uk/systemscanner/viewscanbyid.aspx?id=D14F875E31D926C3

So i think ihave a free slot - so what s it i ask for?

And will i need a new PSU with a graphics card around that power.

I would guess you have DDR(1). For that computer I would ask for a Nvidia Geforece 7900 or equal ati card.

About memory you also need to check if you have any free dimm slots (memory slots) You probably have 2x 256MB dimms there and your motherboard might only have 2 dimm slots. If so you cant upgrade memory without throwing out the old sticks. And you have a onboard gfx card that uses 32mb of the system memory atm.

Bring the computer to a computer repairshop. Say you want a 1gb dimm if there are free memory slots. if not get 2x1gb dimms, ask for the GF7900 and a new PSU. Say you want this as cheap as possible.

Alternatively, I'd recommend you check out what motherboard you have. You can do this, using a free utility called CPU-Z (Google it). Then, when you know what motherboard you have, Google it to find out what type of RAM it takes (though I agree it's likely to be DDR, rather than DDR2 or DDR3). Then you can buy replacement sticks and replace them yourself. It's really simple to do.

Check out www.buildyourown.org.uk for more information about adding components to computers.

Butters: http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/?m=home&sn=049088120319

System Memory:

Supports 2 memory slots.

Supports a maximum memory size of 2 GB (using 2x1 GB memory modules)

400/333/266 MHz

Warning (Not all memory configuration qualified)

Support only 2.5 V DIMM DDRAM configurations

Unbuffered type support

Programmable shared frame buffer size 32 MB or 64 MB for display memory

AGP slot

Could not find any info on the PSU

PB's have a propietary reovery method too. Usually a seperate partition on the HDD and they don't supply OS recovery media with the machines anymore. Bear this in mind before you go on a upgrade spree. PB charge £60 for a copy of Windows XP, even though you have already purchased a license ..

Additionally, you will find the PSU is a generic 350w unit. Ought to be fine for any AGP card that doesn't require a AUX molex.

Cheers guys all been a great help.

Is it defo AGP?

Cheers guys all been a great help.

Is it defo AGP?

Yup.

Connectors

* 3 Conventional PCI slots

* 1 AGP slot

* 1 DB9 serial port COM A

* 1 DB25 parallel port with SPP, ECP, EPP bidirectional modes

* PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse ports (not replaceable)

* 8 USB connectors (4 at back panel and 4 at front panel header)

* 1 Stereo microphone input (Mic-In)

* 1 Line-In

* 1 Line-Out

* 2 IDE connector

* 1 Floppy connector

* 1 RJ45 connector

* 2 SATA connectors

http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/index.php?i=spec_fraser&psn=049088120319

Still got the original HDD? F11 recovery method ought to be on there still. Best get yourself a copy of Windows XP before its no longer available or create your recovery CD media yourself using the supplied method - read your user manual.

Two of these are the fastest ram you can put in that computer, and maximum amount.

http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT12864Z40B

If you settle for a GF6800 or 6600 AGP you won't have to get a new PSU. Those cards will be able to run FM fine.

alt. source: http://www.ebuyer.com/cat/Memory---Desktop/subcat/DDR-400MHz-2GB

DDR 400 2gb ~ £40

edit: Support only 2.5 V DIMM DDRAM configurations! Not going to find many 2.5v dimms now.

Yup.

http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/index.php?i=spec_fraser&psn=049088120319

Still got the original HDD? F11 recovery method ought to be on there still. Best get yourself a copy of Windows XP before its no longer available or create your recovery CD media yourself using the supplied method - read your user manual.

Sorry guys i am a computer reject...

what do you mean exactly?

Also is it DDR as well i am to look out for?

Sorry guys i am a computer reject...

what do you mean exactly?

PB's are usually not supplied with a copy of Windows.

You need to create it yourself using the recovery method (turn on PC press F11 until loads).

Read the manual .. or it can be very expensive trying to obtain disks from PB.

Also is it DDR as well i am to look out for?

Yes. 2.5v DDR 1 400 mhz or DDR 3200 as its otherwise known.

You want 2 x 1 gb sticks. Usually they come in pairs.

Also is it DDR as well i am to look out for?

Yes DDR pc-2100,2700 or 3200. since you are buying new get the 3200 (400mhz) since they cost basicly the same.

It also has to be unbuffered, non ECC. We have provided 2 links to the memory you want. or you could print or write down the memory specs I posted before in this thread and check around in your local town. But depending on where you live you might be out of luck getting it locally and have to buy it online.

What is a PB?

And will i have a graphics slot for the card as someone said i may not?

BTW i have had more help in the last hour by you guys than i have had in 2 or 3 weeks on other forums.

Also can you list more possible graphics cards for me to search and write down?

What about these?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inno3D-nVIDIA-GeForce-9400GT-Graphics/dp/B001I902M8/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228778224&sr=1-10

or

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/5973032/Play-Value-X1650-Pro-512MB-AGP-8x-Graphics-Card/Product.html

And i live in Glasgow BTW.

PB= Packard BEll, the producers of your PC.

You have a free AGP slot for GFX card. you current gfx chip is integrated on the motherboard.

Glad we could help!

Well if you include a PSU upgrade, just to make sure you have enough juice and enough molex connectors for a decent AGP card not a pack of poo, I'd budget about £125~ for this upgrade.

After which you will have a PC capable of playing FM 09 but not much else .. and you will be paying a 100% premium on those older tech parts as well.

Is it worth it? I've done the same thing myself in the past and it has all been redundant 18 months later. Worse than redundant, you will only end up buying a new motherboard/cpu/ram/PCie GPU in a year's time to keep up. That's going to cost you £250 min.

Why not just spend £350-400 now and forget about it for 2-3 years and enjoy FM and other games? Really, upgrading OEM's is a waste of money.

What about these?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inno3D-nVIDIA-GeForce-9400GT-Graphics/dp/B001I902M8/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228778224&sr=1-10

or

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/5973032/Play-Value-X1650-Pro-512MB-AGP-8x-Graphics-Card/Product.html

And i live in Glasgow BTW.

you need a AGP card. That 1st one is PCI-Express and can't be used on your motherboard.

Second card is a powerhog, so you need to upgrade PSU if you go for that

The only game i play though is Football Manager and TBH i don't have the budget for a new computer at the moment.

you need a AGP card. That 1st one is PCI-Express and can't be used on your motherboard.

Second card is a powerhog, so you need to upgrade PSU if you go for that

Ahh right. Too far for me sadly.

If you were down south I could have nipped over at Christmas.

The only game i play though is Football Manager and TBH i don't have the budget for a new computer at the moment.

Assuming you can source everything you need, are you going to be ok fitting it? If not, just pay the PC World tax and have done.

So what Graphics cards would be reccomened so that i don't have to buy a new PSU?

thanks

So what Graphics cards would be reccomened so that i don't have to buy a new PSU?

thanks

GF 6200 maybe.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/119720

So this would work and play it reasonably well?

If so thanks.

I would go for a GF6600, that will do fine for FM09 and would not cost any more than a GF6200, and you will not need a new PSU for it.

Remember to go into bios and disable the onboard gfx chip when you have installed the AGP card.

At the very first screen you see when you power on the PC it will say press * to enter setup/bios.

* is usually DEL, F1 or F2. But it say so under POST (power on self test), the very first screen you see when you turn it on.

I would go for a GF6600, that will do fine for FM09 and would not cost any more than a GF6200, and you will not need a new PSU for it.

Sure the 6600 doesnt require aux molex? My 6600GT did.

Also can somone please run through again what you guys were sayin in post 28 about what i am to do?

And does the ? RAM speed up my computer?

Sure the 6600 doesnt require aux molex? My 6600GT did.

on a 6600? was that a GTX or Special edition or something. Thought only 6800 required that.

But there are always converters for using the normal "ide" powerconnections.