Assorted desktop upgrade questions

[Mokele]

Ok, my computer is a relatively old desktop, a Dell Dimension 4300 (about 5 years old at this point). I'm considering upgrading it to allow my fiancee to play World of Warcraft and for me to use SecondLife, but I want some advice on whether it's actually feasible to drag this machine, kicking and screaming, into 2006.

 

First, the system requirements/recommendations

WoW:

800MHz (min) 1500MHz (rec)

512MB RAM (min) 1024 MB (rec)

32 MB 3D graphics card with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as NVIDIA® GeForce™ 2 class card or above (min)

64 MB 3D graphics card with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX 5700 class card or above (rec)

 

SecondLife:

800MHz (min) 1600MHz (rec)

256MB RAM (min) 512 MB (rec)

nVidia GeForce 2, GeForce 4mx, or better OR ATI Radeon 8500, 9250, or better (min)

nVidia GeForce FX 5600, GeForce 6600, or better OR ATI Radeon 9600, X600, or better (rec)

 

So, those are the mins and recs for the relevant programs. Here's what I have:

1800MHz

256MB RAM

32 MB Rage Fury Pro (4X AGP) (350 MHz DAC, whatever that means)

 

Obvious the RAM and video card need to be udgraded. I can get more RAM, but I can only push it up to 512MB (my motherboard won't recognize any more).

 

The big question is the video card. I've got my eye on this one or something similar, as it's not too pricey, but still seems to exceed the system requirements and recommendations for both. My motherboard's AGP can go up to 4x, and this one is compatible with 8x or 4x AGP slots.

 

So, my questions are:

1) Am I missing some crucial detail that will bugger this whole thing up, some bit of technical jargon I don't know about?

2) Will this video card be enough to compensate for only 512 MB of RAM?

3) Is it even possible to upgrade a heap this old to a level where it can run both games, or is there always going to be something slowing it down?

 

Mokele

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

You should be able to get along just fine on 512 MB of RAM, although you'll probably end up being obsolete in a year or so with only that much.

[JesuBungle]

I believe that would be an excellent card for your computer. Probly about the best you could do with AGP 4x. Before I gave my Dimension 2400 away, I would run WoW with a Nvidia FX5200, and that's through the PCI interface. AGP = faster than PCI = you good to go:cool: