How do i know what video cards and RAM are compatible with my PC?

Windows: Windows XP5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2900.2180

Memory (RAM): 512 MB

CPU Info: AMD Sempron(tm) 3000+

CPU Speed: 1994.6 MHz

Sound card: C-Media Wave Device

Display Adapters: RADEON 9200 SERIES | RADEON 9200 SERIES - Secondary | NetMeeting driver | RDPDD Chained DD

Screen Resolution: 1280 X 768 - 32 bit

Network: Network Present

Network Adapters: Motorola SURFboard SB5100 USB Cable Modem - Packet Scheduler Miniport | VIA Compatable Fast Ethernet Adapter - Packet Scheduler Miniport

CD / DVD Drives: D: DVD-ROM 16X | E: TSSTcorpCD/DVDW TS-H552B | F: | K: ZB4613C ARN425L

COM Ports: COM1

LPT Ports: LPT1

Mouse: 5 Button Wheel Mouse Present

Hard Disks: C: 114.5GB

Hard Disks - Free: C: 80.6GB

USB Controllers: 4 host controllers.

Firewire (1394): Not Detected

PCMCIA (Laptops): Not Installed

Manufacturer: American Megatrends Inc.

Product Make: K7VT4A+

AC Power Status: OnLine

BIOS Info: AT/AT COMPATIBLE | 07/19/04 | AMIINT - 10

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time

Battery: No Battery

Motherboard: K7VT4A+

Modem: Not detected

'PS i know it would be more sensible to buy a new PC, but as i said, aslong as i can play BF2 and 2142 at high then i will get along fine. If i can't then i will obviously have to look into it.'

Since that's a Socket A motherboard, you're using DDR type RAM, unbuffered (which is the most common type of 184-pin DDR RAM). I'd pick up at least 1GB, but the Battlfield games do love RAM, so having more would be useful. Still, 2x1GB of DDR would be a fairly expensive proposition. If you want to save money, get a single 1GB stick (dual-channel isn't all that big of a performance hit), and run it with the single 512MB stick you have now (or if that's two 256MB sticks, take one out and run 1280MB of RAM). Speed doesn't matter much, it will default to the lowest speed RAM you have installed. I'd shoot for DDR 400 though.

For the graphics card, you can install any of the latest AGP graphics cards since your slot is 4x/8x. I wouldn't spend more than $100 on a graphics card for your rig though, so if you want to go cheap the X1650Pro/7600GS is your best bet, but if you want to spend a little more the highest I'd get is the HD2600Pro which is slightly better than those two cards but still below $100. VRAM will NOT matter for those cards - a 512MB card is not necessarily better than a 256MB version. Go by pricing on those cards, they all use GDDR2 type RAM.

Personally if you want to game on a PC though i'd just look at spending a few hundred and getting a new one all together. for like 400 u can get a pc with a duel core and 2 gigs of ram that u could install a PCI-e video card into. Cause your rigs is quite a bit worse than mine and mine is hurting for frames

Athlon 3500+

1 gig DDR 400 ram

Nvidia 7600 GT OC

Just a quick example

http://www.etccomputer.ca/eShop/default.asp?systemid=95&showcase=3

Is this RAM ok and why is it so cheap compared to so many others i have come across?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-TWIN2X2048-6400C4-unbuffered-4-4-4-12-Technology/dp/B000FU4ZM4/ref=pd_sim_dbs_ce_title_6

Thanks.

Is this RAM ok and why is it so cheap compared to so many others i have come across?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-TWIN2X2048-6400C4-unbuffered-4-4-4-12-Technology/dp/B000FU4ZM4/ref=pd_sim_dbs_ce_title_6

Thanks.

_-theo-_

That's DDR2. Won't work on your motherboard.