If you are still reading the thread OP...I HEAVILY suggest getting him a new MOBO/CPU...I know you might think them expensive, by getting him a cheap E2XXX or E5XXX Intel Dual core (like $60) and ANY Socket 775 board will be a WORLD better than what he has...and cheap at that...I mean, honestly, you're talking say $60 for a CPU, $30-40 for a motherboard, and like $20 for 2GB of RAM...add another $100 OR LESS on that for a NICE graphics card and he's got a kickass system...just some quick searching on Newegg:

CPU AMD X2 7550 2.5Ghz Dual Core $50

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103628

Motherboard ECS Geforce6100 Chipset $46

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135074

RAM AllComponents 2GB (1GB x 2) $21

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820159015

Video Card - ATi 4830 512MB $82

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814140099

All told is like $200..and two items have $10 mail in rebates...so $180...totally cheap and game worthly like a ****

Memory Dumps are due to bad sectors on the RAM...simply put, if it happens again, you have some faulty RAM.

Since no one else has replied heres a link benchmarking the card:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-9650M-GT.10764.0.html

Would seem about on par to a desktop 9500GT. Won't be the best for gaming, but it'll be decent.

Yeah, I have to agree, SLI is the way to go in your case. Sure a GTX275 would result in a nicer gaming experience, but SLI'ed GSO's are nothing to laugh at. Youll have no problems playing anything at your current resolution. Especially considering they are 768MB versions, it'll even handle higher resolutions without a problem.

Id honestly consider the matter closed and just do it...you will not regret it at all.

A Pentium D 960 which is 3.6ghz x 2 is slower than a AMD X2 4000+ AND A Intel C2D E4300 at gaming...and those are considered low-end CPU's by todays standards...I mean, the TC's CPU and 7900GS would be lucky to play even UT3 at playable speeds on medium settings.

I'd buy a Cray super computer with a PCI-e add-on boards and have like 26 way SLI with GTX 295's...a couple 104 inch LCDs...fiber optic internet...that should do it.

Yeah, Im interested in this problem...I want to know if Staples replaced your original with some crappy card...won't even play MGS in software mode? What the hell cant play MGS in SOFTWARE MODE?!

The 9600GSO will run fine with you 300 watt PSU...I promise. I have a 9600GT running with a 250 watt.

As far as audio goes then yes, ATi is the only choice. Good to know about the micro-stutter...thought I was the only one that experienced this on my last Nvidia card (9800GTX).

[QUOTE="urdead18"]

Holy Crap.

I just found the black edition for $221 and the normal for $183 o.0.

It is Canadian if it's .ca right?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143140

normal and here's black

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330(WHOA! $221 BEFORE $30 mail in rebate...$259.99 on Tiger and it's $191 on Newegg? Not bad at all.)

AndroidVageta

Yeah, Newegg.ca is the Canadian site. Damn good prices by the way. Go with the normal version as it can easily overclock to black edition speeds...so yeah, GTX260 all the way!!!

Just checked the links and the normal version is the 192SP version, so go Black if you can afford it...mail in rebates arent always guarenteed...Ive had many a mail in rebate never get to me...the normal one is also $160 after MIR...but again be careful.

Either one however is still plenty powerful!