Upgrading my custom build..

[yucali]

Hello,
I'm looking to upgrade my PC - After contacting a few local PC shops and having no response I guess nobody wants my money. SO I thought I'd give it a go myself.. I'm better with software problems than hardware however so just wanted to make sure I don't make any mistakes with the compatibility of upgrades..

My current spec is:

Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.120402-0336)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: P5QL PRO
BIOS: BIOS Date: 11/28/08 17:25:18 Ver: 08.00.14
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 4094MB RAM
Page File: 1977MB used, 6420MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 7.00.6002.18107 32bit Unicode

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

This was a pretty awesome computer 4 - 5 years ago, however it's just starting to show it's age a little so I'm looking to upgrade.

I do a lot of media work (editing pics/videos) so firstly looking to upgrade the RAM.. to 8GB possibly..

Next there's the graphics cards.. I'm not really sure of the best one these days, the most demanding game I'd wanna play right now is BF3 - however I also want it to be good to run games that are released in the future so something high-end would be preferable (not necessarily the MOST expensive though!)

The reason I'd like advise is mostly on the motherboard compatibility and with using Vista.. As much as I hate vista, I'd rather not splash out on windows 7 unless it's absolutly needed (I was ONE month outside the free upgrade when they released windows 7!)

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[tsnor]

I did not see if you were vista-32 or vista-64 bit. Adding more ram to a 32-bit OS would not work -- the PC would run, it just couldn't see the extra memory. The properties tab on "my computer" will tell you 32 or 64 bit vista.

You should have enough CPU with the E8400, but if you need more than you'll want to also get a new MB. That gives you freedom to pick a modern CPU. Adding an older CPU that is compatible with your current MB doesn't make sense.

Good news, there are many video cards you can get that will use the same or less wattage than your current 150w GTX9800. I did not see your power supply (PSU) wattage spec. Here is a reference to help you choose your new card. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

As you can see from the last page, to do noticeably better than your current card you need to step up to a card like a GTX 560, 650 Ti, HD 6870 or better. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html