Should I upgrade my computer or buy a new one?

i am not sure if you are able to upgrade your computer but if so then its usually cheaper... i always just add to my computer as needed to keep the same power it had when i first made it.. i get all my computer parts from one site, they are great and have everything.. good luck http://www.computergiants.com/

It is a tower and you can add an AGP 8x/4x (1.5V) video card or a standard PCI video card. You may have a hard time finding one, but they are still available. Here is the link for the spec on your motherboard. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00069442&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=447312&lang=en Motherboard specifications table Motherboard Part / Feature Specification / Support Motherboard Description Mb manufacturer name: ASUS A7V8X-LA HP/Compaq name: Kelut-GL6E CPU Socket A AMD Athlon XP Core frequency up to Athlon XP 3200+ Chipset VIA KM400A VIA VT8237 Front Side Bus (FSB) 400 / 333 / 266 MHz Memory 2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets Support up to maximum 2 GB memory (PC manufacturer's maximum memory may differ) Supports unbuffered PC2700/2100 non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory Expansion Slots Three PCI slots One AGP 8x/4x (1.5V) Storage Two UltraDMA 100 IDE connectors Two Serial ATA connectors Integrated Graphics VIA UniChrome graphics Audio Realtek AL658 six-channel AUDIO CODEC Digital audio via an S/PDIF out interface LAN Southbridge integrated 10/100 Mbps VT6103 LAN PHY Hardware Monitoring Super I/O integrated monitoring of: CPU/chassis fan, MB/CPU temperature Rear Panel I/O Ports One Parallel One Serial One PS/2 Keyboard One PS/2 Mouse One RJ45 port One Audio I/O One VGA One IEEE 1394 Four USB 2.0/1.1 (Two connectors) Internal I/O Two USB connectors support additional four USB 2.0 ports One IEEE 1394 connector for an additional IEEE 1394 port CPU/chassis fan connectors 20-pin ATX power connector Front panel connector CD/AUX connectors Front panel audio connector BIOS Features 4Mb Flash ROM Award BIOS Enhanced ACPI DMI 2.0 Green features PnP features Industry Standard PCI 2.2 USB 2.0/1.1 Manageability WOL WOR Wake on PS/2 mouse Support CD Contents Device drivers ASUS PC Probe ASUS Screensaver Award BIOS Flash Utility Adobe Acrobat Reader Trend Micro PC-cillin 2002 Form Factor Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 inches x 9.6 inches (24.38 cm x 24.38 cm) NOTE: Motherboard specifications are subject to change without prior notice Good Luck.

you might upgrade video card that should get you some more time with your best friend if you can would be cheaper... could go like best buy or somewheres like and ask about it they could tell you which one would work if any...... its geting old at 3yrs even if its still running great now.... its worth a shot a gig is great not sure about what kind there are afew great ones but fitment is a question

You won't need a new PC or an 8800GT card to play Sims 2. Really, you only need a Nvidia 6600GT with 128MbVRAM to run it and a 2Ghz CPU to play it fine at 1024 x 768. Anything above those specs is unnecessary because Sims2 is not a FPS graphics intensive game at all. I know because we have it installed and played on our Athlon. If you want the best AGP card, then an ATI Radeon x1950 Pro with 512Mb VRAM will give better performance but then at a much higher resolution. The cost of the ATI is around the $239 Aus. You won't need a new PC in fact that's only if you want an excuse to play newer games today.

I say if everything else on your computer works then upgrade the graphics card. I upgraded my graphics card to a 256 MB AGP 8x and all graphical applications work much smoother now. What kind of graphics card do you currently have? If you don't know, then download the program at the link I listed below: you don't need to install anything and it will give you all of the information you need to know about your computer.

IMHO the best thing would be to buy a new pc. anything out there now is better that the best of 2004. Most retail PCs do not come with a graphics card and most are PCI Express nowdays. If you buy a new PC and want the best results in Sims 2 you will need a graphics card, go with a minimum of a Nvidia 8800GTs.

Yes. You can upgrade your Compaq desktop computer's video card and you may not even need a new power supply. A 256MB Video Card will run the Sims pretty good and for just a little bit more money, a 512 MB Video card will run it great. Check the recommended power supply needs on the box. ATI are good video cards. You should be able to get a decent 512 MB card for around $150. If playing the Sims is your only motivation for better computer, it is better to just buy the video card than a whole new pc.