i need more memry for comp-lots of questions?

Question

my comp. needs more memory and i know nothing about computers and need to know step by step if you could help me figure out how to go about getting this.i have an xp and it said after a test on a site i have 1,536 maximum memory capacity
and currently installed memory is 384 mb & avail memory slot is 1.My son wants to play guild wars and i need to get a graphix card and stuff and it really lags

Answer 1

This might be of help:
1. Before buying additional RAM:
http://compreviews.about.com/od/memory/bb/aabybmemup.htm
2. When installing additional RAM:
http://compreviews.about.com/od/tutorials/ss/DIYDeskMem.htm

It looks like you are still using integrated graphics on that PC. A discrete graphics card would free up the shared memory and really improve 3D graphics (game) performance.

HAPPY PC GAMING!

Answer 2

First off, you'll need to find out what kind of memory you need to install in your PC. More than likely, if your PC is from within the past couple of years, it'll be DDR memory. Use the link in the above poster's post to find out what kind your motherboard takes. Power down and unplug the PC, open the case, and carefully remove one of the two sticks of RAM and compare it to the images on that page. You'll probably want to print it out for reference.
Once you have that figured out, you'll need to purchase the appropriate type of RAM for your system. 1 GB sticks of DDR RAM are getting to be dirt cheap, so you could pick up two GB of RAM for only about $130 or $140 with tax and shipping off of Tigerdirect.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1071020&CatId=147
If your PC is older and uses SDRAM, you can pick up 512 MB sticks for about $60 each.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=576570&CatId=829

Once you receive them, installing them is simple. Power down and unplug the PC, and open the case. Just line up the pins on the RAM with the slots on the motherboard and press it in firmly. If you purchased more than one, remove one of the older sticks of RAM (removing the 128 MB one would be best), and install the new RAM in it's place. Plug it back in and power it up, and the computer should recognize it right away.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

i recently upgraded my ram in my computer and wasnt very knowledgeable about the subject my self and i was able to find out all i needed to know on this website,they have a free system scan that tells you what kind,how much,and what you need,or it gives you plenty of information on how to figure it out yourself if you just want to know