Vista - Upgrade GPU (graphics card) or RAM?

Please help. I just bought a new pc (HP Pavilion a1700n) and think I may
want to upgrade either my RAM or my GPU. I am running Windows Vista Premium.
The CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3800+ Dual Core. The RAM is 1GB and the
graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (128mb dedicated). What will make
my computer run smoother/quicker, upgrading my GPU or upgrading my RAM? I
like to watch movies, listen to music, while surfing the web and running
basic applications (excel, word, itunes, etc.) I feel like programs open up
slowly, windows starts slowly, and shuts down slowly. Should I upgrade my
GPU or my RAM or neither? If so, any recommendations on exactly what product
to install? Thank you!

Verify that CPU setting is set to use two processors.

"gng007" <gng007@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:09E5DFA8-3CD1-4E25-AE2B-67B6319EC699@microsoft.com...
> Please help. I just bought a new pc (HP Pavilion a1700n) and think I may
> want to upgrade either my RAM or my GPU. I am running Windows Vista
> Premium.
> The CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3800+ Dual Core. The RAM is 1GB and the
> graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (128mb dedicated). What will
> make
> my computer run smoother/quicker, upgrading my GPU or upgrading my RAM? I
> like to watch movies, listen to music, while surfing the web and running
> basic applications (excel, word, itunes, etc.) I feel like programs open
> up
> slowly, windows starts slowly, and shuts down slowly. Should I upgrade my
> GPU or my RAM or neither? If so, any recommendations on exactly what
> product
> to install? Thank you!

Sorry to be so unsavvy: how exactly do I check that? Thanks.

gng007

"AJR" wrote:

> Verify that CPU setting is set to use two processors.
>
> "gng007" <gng007@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:09E5DFA8-3CD1-4E25-AE2B-67B6319EC699@microsoft.com...
> > Please help. I just bought a new pc (HP Pavilion a1700n) and think I may
> > want to upgrade either my RAM or my GPU. I am running Windows Vista
> > Premium.
> > The CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3800+ Dual Core. The RAM is 1GB and the
> > graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (128mb dedicated). What will
> > make
> > my computer run smoother/quicker, upgrading my GPU or upgrading my RAM? I
> > like to watch movies, listen to music, while surfing the web and running
> > basic applications (excel, word, itunes, etc.) I feel like programs open
> > up
> > slowly, windows starts slowly, and shuts down slowly. Should I upgrade my
> > GPU or my RAM or neither? If so, any recommendations on exactly what
> > product
> > to install? Thank you!
>
>
>

Although it shouldn't go slow, your GPU won't do much to speed it up. It
will speed up 3D gaming, and that's about it. Upgrading your RAM would help
a bit, but like I said... I shouldn't be going too slow.

--
Dustin Harper
dharper@vistarip.com
http://www.vistarip.com

--
"gng007" <gng007@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:09E5DFA8-3CD1-4E25-AE2B-67B6319EC699@microsoft.com...
> Please help. I just bought a new pc (HP Pavilion a1700n) and think I may
> want to upgrade either my RAM or my GPU. I am running Windows Vista
> Premium.
> The CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3800+ Dual Core. The RAM is 1GB and the
> graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (128mb dedicated). What will
> make
> my computer run smoother/quicker, upgrading my GPU or upgrading my RAM? I
> like to watch movies, listen to music, while surfing the web and running
> basic applications (excel, word, itunes, etc.) I feel like programs open
> up
> slowly, windows starts slowly, and shuts down slowly. Should I upgrade my
> GPU or my RAM or neither? If so, any recommendations on exactly what
> product
> to install? Thank you!

Install the gadget that monitors dual cpu's, interesting to watch as tasks
are in progress.

> --
> "gng007" <gng007@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:09E5DFA8-3CD1-4E25-AE2B-67B6319EC699@microsoft.com...
>> Please help. I just bought a new pc (HP Pavilion a1700n) and think I may
>> want to upgrade either my RAM or my GPU. I am running Windows Vista
>> Premium.
>> The CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3800+ Dual Core. The RAM is 1GB and the
>> graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (128mb dedicated). What will
>> make
>> my computer run smoother/quicker, upgrading my GPU or upgrading my RAM?
>> I
>> like to watch movies, listen to music, while surfing the web and running
>> basic applications (excel, word, itunes, etc.) I feel like programs open
>> up
>> slowly, windows starts slowly, and shuts down slowly. Should I upgrade
>> my
>> GPU or my RAM or neither? If so, any recommendations on exactly what
>> product
>> to install? Thank you!
>