Can my Computer/Motherboard run a video card?

Hello, I'm hoping someone can asst me with this:



(1 - My computer is a HP, I can upgrade it up to 4GB of RAM which is needed to play games at a fast rate such as The Sims 2 (and expansions), Civilization 4, Age of Empires 3, etc,.

I'm not looking to upgrade my PC to a powerhouse, but am wanting to get the most out of it and start playing those good games out there.



(2. Video/Graphic Card:

I understand the difference between the models, and the brand.

I have been researching for some time now and have looked into a nVida GeForce 8800 GT or a 9600.

Now, my question isn't that which one of these cards should I pick; its Will either of these run on my computer/motherboard handle it and not make me waste my money? :(



Information on my motherboard provided by CPU something or other..:

Model: 08FCh (DO1)

Chipset: Intel



Other information about my computer:



OS: Windows XP Pro

RAM: 256 MB (It is able to be upgraded to 4GB which I will once I buy a video card)

Direct X is 9.0c



Again, the video cards I had my eye on was:

GeForce 9600GT

Link for 9600GT:http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N869-AR



And the other was a 8800 GT which is a popular Video card that most people have luck with and runs well for its price?



If you need any other information, I'll add it.

Thank you for your valuable time,

Union of Life|||You didn't tell us anything about your motherboard.



What kind of motherboard is it? What kind of chipset is on the motherboard?



More what kind of graphics do you have now? Are the built onto the Motherboard? Or did you have another card?



You probably need to go to HP's site to figure that out.





4gb of RAM does help some in games, but a Graphic card helps WAY MORE in games then RAM does. The other thing is, Windows 32 bit can't support full 4gb of RAM! Meaning with your version of windows xp, you well only get something like 3.2gb of use!



No program now days NEEDS 4gb of RAM! 2GB is good even for vista. The only reason you need a lot of ram is if you are doing a lot of things at the same TIME!



Get 2gb of RAM and use the extra money on your graphic card.

Post what type of HP Computer you have, and then maybe somebody else can figure out the chip set. |||I'm guessing that is a:

HP Compaq dx2000 Microtower

250 Watt Power Supply

No AGP or PCI-Express Interface for Graphics Card



This means you can use a regular PCI graphics card, not 9600GT or 8800GT.

CHAINTECH GSP5200T2 GeForce FX 5200 128MB 64-bit DDR PCI Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as…|||OH YES YOU DONT HAVE3D GRAPH CARD SO PUT IT IN FOR SURE.REMEMBER TO TURN OFF YOUR ON BOARD OFF SWAP ON BOARDSETTING TO DISABLED