How do I upgrade my computer?

[Shawn]

[B]Operating System[/B]: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.101014-0432)
[B]Language[/B]: English (Regional Setting: English)
[B]System Manufacturer[/B]: IBM
[B]System Model[/B]: 82121QU
[B]BIOS[/B]: Phoenix FirstBios(tm) Desktop Pro Version 2.0 for ThinkCentre.
[B]Processor[/B]: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.5GHz
[B]Memory[/B]: 2044MB RAM
[B]Page File[/B]: 1255MB used, 3081MB available

[B]Card name[/B]: Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family
[B]Manufacturer[/B]: Intel Corporation
[B]Chip type[/B]: Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family
[B]DAC type[/B]: Internal
[B]Device Key[/B]: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2772&SUBSYS_030E1014&REV_02
[B]Display Memory[/B]: 256 MB
[B]Dedicated Memory[/B]: 0 MB
[B]Shared Memory[/B]: 256 MB
[B]Current Mode[/B]: 1440 x 900 (32 bit) (60Hz)
[B]Monitor[/B]: Generic PnP Monitor

Ok so... there are my specs. I'm wondering... is it possible to upgrade my processor? It's the only thing I can see that is majorly affecting my computer, with being slow and whatnot. I know I can get a video card, so that'll help with the GFX end of it (there's a slot for it). I just don't know anything about the inside of computers, so I have no way of knowing if the processor is built in, if it can be upgraded, blah blah. So any advice is welcome.

 

[rice]

if you're getting a good gpu(video card i guess), you're probably going to need a new psu(power supply)

 

[Shawn]

The things I'm thinking of upgrading is my processor, vid card and power supply since this fan is loud as duck. From the specs I listed, will it improve my comp a lot? Like... enough to actually be able to do things, like game in peace?

 

[Jolin88]

With those specs you'd be better off buying a whole new computer,

to get a better CPU you'd have to replace the motherboard anyway, the graphic card is weak, if you want to be able to play games without spending too much, then buy a graphic card, the Ram is 2 GB a bit low but acceptable, however if you change motherboard you'll likely have to buy DDR3 Ram

So that's how it looks :
New Processor Requires new mobo
Nowadays mobos use DDR3 Ram (at least those who can support modern CPUs)
PSU is likely to be too weak for a proper graphic card, the only graphic card I can recommend you without changing PSU is Radeon HD5450 (Power saving graphic card, cheap, but not too bad, it can run modern games at middle settings)

all in all, buying a new computer or upgrading nearly every piece, that's your options

 

[Sardaukar]

Set aside $500, then ask us for assistance and we can get you a brand new computer built that will be 200x better then that current computer. As it stands, the current build you have isnt worth putting any money towards at teh moment.. nothign will garner you a huge improvement minus a low end GPU.

The reasons: any newer GPU will bottleneck, limiting how well you can do anythign because of the age of the CPU. Those Pentium 4's are incredible CPUs for how old they are, but they are nothing compared to a simple low-end Core 2 Duo, i3, or i5.

 

[Warmonger]

Set aside $500, then ask us for assistance and we can get you a brand new computer built that will be 200x better then that current computer. As it stands, the current build you have isnt worth putting any money towards at teh moment.. nothign will garner you a huge improvement minus a low end GPU.

The reasons: any newer GPU will bottleneck, limiting how well you can do anythign because of the age of the CPU. Those Pentium 4's are incredible CPUs for how old they are, but they are nothing compared to a simple low-end Core 2 Duo, i3, or i5.

He would be better off going with AMD for such a low budget.

@OP
There will be only one way to make that machine show its true potential. And that is if it has a LGA 775 and not a 478. Chances are its probably a 478 since its running only a 1.5ghz chip in it. The best chip that would fit in it would be the P4 Extreme. Which is a bad butt processor for its age. But isn't worth the cost. Let me make it short and simple. The new processor to beef up your old rig, will cost more then a entirely brand new quad core... Supply & demand are in effect now for these chips. It would cost me $100+ for a dual core Athlon 64 if I wanted it brand new. Or I could just buy the Phenom II 955 for $119. Same goes for the memory. If your running 478 your probably running 184pin sure enough. 184pin costs twice as much as DDR2 and DDR3. Why? Supply & demand. Run what you got and save for a new rig. You can excape for around 6-700$ for a really nice rig. That will completely leave your old machine in the closet, eating dust sorta speak :

Edit: It would also help a lot if you post your Brand & Model of pc you have. A screenshot of speccy would also help a lot to see what you got to work with. File -> Publish Snapshot... and you will be giving a link full of all your hardware specifications.