Upgrades for idiots

[amanda]

I am the world's least computer literate person, so anyone who can do more than word process and hit print, can you help?

I received Civ IV for Christmas, having previously got into Civ II on a mate's machine. Trouble is my DELL laptop is ancient and the dxdiag blurb states serious deficiencies in the video card (32MB) and RAM (222MB). I think my processor is probably OK for now (2.2 GHz Intel Celeron).

Despite this I installed it out of curiosity - and remarkably you can actually play at a normal speed. The main figures and cities are all OK but the background tiles are darkened and other leaders have only eyeballs and lips, not skin inbetween!

How do I upgrade on this spec? Bear in mind I've never bought a single technological item - not even a TV!.

A couple of specific questions:

1. What is RAM?? How does it affect me? Is there anything I can do to alter RAM internally? If not, can I get an add on to stick in a USB port?

2. Can I get an upgrade video card without having a vacant PCMCIA slot? (My one is taken up with a Wireless Internet thing) Can you connect it into a USB port? I've got some rubbish SiS one but I've heard GeForce or AGP are good. Which is the cheapest?

3. I cart my laptop around a lot so don't want a lot of extra hardware- are there any downloadable/software options to bring my computer up to date?
I've already downloaded that 1.52 patch, to no discernible effect.

Thankyou very much for helping me into the 21st century...

Amanda x

 

[Zanmato]

What is RAM?

The only thing you need to know about RAM is more is better. With your laptop you can upgrade the RAM to 512mb. However, you will need to access the internal components of your laptop to upgrade it. The laptop will have two slots for the RAM chips, one will have one chip in which is your 256mb of RAM and the other is vacant, but you can insert another 256mb chip in. Most RAM chips come in either 256, 512 or 1Gb. You can get USB RAM sticks but you can't use them as additional RAM, only as a removable storage device.

Can I get an upgrade video card?

I'm guessing proberly not. The system uses a shared graphics chip, the 32mb comes from the 256mb of RAM hence that is why it displays 222mb of installed RAM. The graphics chip takes 32mb for itself to display the graphics which woefully inadequate of Civ4. Alot of shared graphics have problems with Civ4 such as the 'black tile syndrome'. I have little experience with laptops so I'm unsure if you can upgrade the graphics, it also appears the all you drivers for the hardware is up to date so you may be technically stuck with what you have.

Desktop PCs use their own graphics cards which have their own onboard RAM so it takes nothing from the system RAM. These cards work through a AGP or PCI slot, both are being phased out. The two mainstream makes of graphic cards are from ATI (Radeon) and nvidia (GeForce). Other companies produce these cards but they are technically the same as they use the same chipsets. Some use may be cheaper than others or faster, etc. AGP is superior to PCI and is fairly cheap.

I think the only thing you can do is to upgrade the RAM and hope. You will need another 'DDR SDRAM @266mhz' 256mb RAM chip and then you will need to venture into the laptop to install it.

I hope someone else with a better knowledge about lappies with chip in with some ideas.