Okay, I have a Dell XPS410 tower home computer. It came with 2GB RAM, 2.4GB Intel CPU, 512KB shared Vid RAM, Video integrated in the MB, and Windows XP Multi-Media OS.
Over the years, I have upgraded to an nVidia GT6800X1GB Video Card. A Diamond 7.1 surround sound card. 6GB RAM. Two separate 500GB SATA HDs @ 7200RPM. Windows 7X64 bit OS. It now flies everything maxed out with no appreciable drop in FPS. The system sees 5.83GB of RAM.
I also have a Dell Inspiron 1721 laptop. It came with AMD 2.0GB CPU. 2GB RAM. Onboard integrated ATI Radeon 1250 Vid card with shared 256KB RAM. Windows Vista Home Premium OS. I ordered another SATA HD. (It has ports for 2 physical HDs). I "upgraded" to Windows XP Multi-Media. I ordered and upgraded RAM to 8GB. I ordered and installed Windows 7X64 bit onto the extra HD. It now sees 7.87GB of RAM. Dispite the inept and impotent video card, it now is usable for CFS2 maxed out. Within Windows I dedicated some of my system's 8GB RAM to the shared video RAM.
Dell says that neither machine is capable of Windows 7X64. Dell also says that neither will accept nor see the amount of RAM I have. Windows 7 went out and found all of the drivers that both needed. ALL of my hardware is working just fine.
Basically, I have two new computers that cruise along quite nicely for a fraction of the cost of buying new.
If only there was a way to replace the integrated video and sound on the MB of my laptop. But, that not-with-standing, I will "limp along" for a few more years with both..........
Over the years, I have upgraded to an nVidia GT6800X1GB Video Card. A Diamond 7.1 surround sound card. 6GB RAM. Two separate 500GB SATA HDs @ 7200RPM. Windows 7X64 bit OS. It now flies everything maxed out with no appreciable drop in FPS. The system sees 5.83GB of RAM.
I also have a Dell Inspiron 1721 laptop. It came with AMD 2.0GB CPU. 2GB RAM. Onboard integrated ATI Radeon 1250 Vid card with shared 256KB RAM. Windows Vista Home Premium OS. I ordered another SATA HD. (It has ports for 2 physical HDs). I "upgraded" to Windows XP Multi-Media. I ordered and upgraded RAM to 8GB. I ordered and installed Windows 7X64 bit onto the extra HD. It now sees 7.87GB of RAM. Dispite the inept and impotent video card, it now is usable for CFS2 maxed out. Within Windows I dedicated some of my system's 8GB RAM to the shared video RAM.
Dell says that neither machine is capable of Windows 7X64. Dell also says that neither will accept nor see the amount of RAM I have. Windows 7 went out and found all of the drivers that both needed. ALL of my hardware is working just fine.
Basically, I have two new computers that cruise along quite nicely for a fraction of the cost of buying new.
If only there was a way to replace the integrated video and sound on the MB of my laptop. But, that not-with-standing, I will "limp along" for a few more years with both..........