The Dink Network

I just recently bought a new computer, but I'm not entirely satisfied yet. I did a lot of tweaking, for the better, but I need some help.

My specs are:

Intel Duo 2 Core 1.87 GHz overclocked @ 2.00 GHz
1x 1 GB & 1x 512 MB Elixir RAM
ASUS GeForce 7600GT 256 MB overclocked @ 611 MHz core & 1.52 GHz memory
120 GB Maxtor Harddisk
PowerSupply OEM 550 Watt ATX
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2

My question is, is this system balanced? What parts should I upgrade? Also, the bold text is what I'm questioning. I've heard a lot of bad things about elixir RAM. Is it worth it to ditch it and buy 2 sticks of Kingston 1 GB RAM, or is the difference neglectable? And does Kingston ValueRam 1024 MB PC4300 533 MHz, 4 cas, non-ecc fit on my motherboard? My motherboard is an Asus P5B SATA/GBL/U2/SB 775.

It seems the OEM PowerSupply is pretty crappy too. I haven't had any problems with it, so do I need to upgrade to a better one (Antec?) or is it unnecessary?

I know a bit about computers, but I hope anyone here can help me. My goal is to be able to play the new games at least decently. Thanks!

Upgrade your RAM to at least 1GB. It really makes tons of difference, I've noticed.

I have 1,5 GB RAM at the moment. I'm just wondering if it's worth to upgrade my brand of RAM, as I've read that Elixir is worthless, whereas Kingston is a good brand.

Your computer looks fine. I've never heard of Elixir, but as long as the two brands are the same speed, you're fine. CAS doesn't really matter.

What 'new games' do you want to play?

I can play Oblivion and F.E.A.R. on 1024x786 with everything on max, but in Oblivion the framerate can drop to around 20 fps in foliage. I'd like to give it a small boost if at all possible without buying a new videocard. And I would like it be able to play the most games in the next few years without having to turn everything down. I think I'm going to buy 2 GB Kingston RAM and an Antec 450W PSU, unless you all think that really isn't going to improve things that much.

Neither of those will do anything. It's your video card.

What's the transfer rate on your hard drive?

Plus, a defrag never hurt anything, but use one of the better alternatives, rather than the actual windows joke. I'm sure Merlin or one of the others would have a good suggestion.

Well, I'd like to know why he thinks his computer needs to be upgraded. Now, I understand he wants to be able to games well, but saying "I heard this may suck" doesn't mean anything. What evidence does he have that a part sucks? If it's game framerate, I'd put the money towards a new nVidia 8800gtx. That should solve all problems, more so than any amount of tweaking.

Memory bandwidth sucks for the Core 2 Duo anyway, so RAM timings aren't all that useful in the first place. Overclocking the processor won't do much for current games since most of the processing is done by the GPU.

Christiaan: I can tell you if you should upgrade your power supply to help prevent future headaches, but my guess is you don't with what you're putting on it. Will you copy the ratings from the label and reply here?

And to answer your first question, yes, that Kingston RAM will fit in your motherboard.

For the reference, here's my computer:

Intel Pentium 4 2.66GHz
ASUS P4G8X Deluxe - E7205 "Granite Bay" Chipset
1.5GB RAM (2x256 Kingston, 2x512 OCZ)
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (a.k.a POS)
Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Maxtor 120 GB HD
420W Thermaltake PSU
2 USB 2.0 ports, 6 USB 1.1 ports

Well, there are certain games that processor power is paramount, case in point: supreme commander, or even total annihilation. It's not the graphics cards holding these games back. Not everyone plays games for the shiny factor. GO rouge-likes!

Put yeah, that computer will hold out for a while, as long as any new computer will. The best way to extend it's life for new games it to keep it clean. Less programs running, less non-essential services, and keep everything minimal.

Lastly, you don't need overclock if you don't have to, unless you got the money to spend for the inevitable burnout. I personally only overclock my video card when playing games, otherwise I leave it alone.

/and yes, sup com is awesome.
//RAAHHH, wining with 98% casualties isn't a bad thing, is it?

Thanks for your replies. By the way, I know that a new PSU isn't going to give me a performance boost, it's just that I'm afraid that my cheap generic PSU might burn my hardware in the long run. So I searched around a bit, and I think I'm going to buy this:

2x Kingston ValueRam Dual Channel 1024 MB PC4300 667 MHz, 5 cas, non-ecc
Antec 450 Watt SmartPower v2.0 PSU

I looked inside my computer and found out that I don't have 1,5 GB Elixir RAM, but 1 GB Kingston RAM (not dual-channel I think) and 512 MB Elixir RAM. My question is, if I plug in those 2 GB dual channel RAM, can I ALSO plug in my current RAM, so it makes 3,5 GB, or is this unwise? I think I saw 2 slots next to the 2 slots where my RAM is, so I guess it's possible to have 4 slots for RAM? I'm sorry for the n00bish questions, I'm just learning all these things. Thanks!

No, leave your old RAM out. In order to use Dual channel, the RAM must be of the same type.

I finally understand all this RAM stuff. I'll just buy another 1 GB RAM chip exactly like the one I already have, which makes it dual-channel 2 GB RAM. Man, computers are confusing. Thanks dudes.

In order to use dual-channel, the ram must also be of dual-channel type.

No it doesn't. You can buy two sticks of RAM of any type, and as long as they are the same brand and timings, it will work fine. There is no "dual-channel" type, per se. There are "dual-channel ready" packages that are sold with matched pairs, which sounds necessary, but it really means nothing. It's just a 2-for-1.9 discount. So, what Christiaan wants to do will work fine.

Ah, my mistake.