Sony VAIO help anyone?

[E.B.S]

Anyone else own a VAIO? I own a 2.7 Gig P4 PCV-RZ14G. Now my question is...does anyone know if i can buy a video card and swap it into my sony? I'm asking this cus i know sonys can be very brand whor-ish...meaning they arent compatible with anything thats not a sony...so yeah i was wondering if i switched in a new 256 meg vid card (Nvidia or something similar) if it would work or not? any tips? i tried calling sony but havent been able to get in touch with them yet...

[Kev Kanos]

It would have to. I cant see any reason why not. I guess I dont know for sure but I would have never even thought of that as being a problem. Unless somone knows that it doesnt work I would just go for it.

[Lord_malak]

you might want to check www.notebookforums.com

[Thrasher_Z]

The biggest issue I see is that the SIS651 chipset on that board only supports 4X AGP. Although you could up grade, you wouldn't get the full benifits of a late model card.

The entire PC is pretty out of date. You may want to consider more of an up-grade. I know easier said than done $$$. Even thinking about using the card on a future PC is fairly limited as AGP is phasing out for PCIE. So if you do decide to go ahead I would stay cheap.

A note: If your thinking to upgrade the mobo to solve your 4X issue, remember that your OS is an OEM a typically linked to your mobo. So such an upgrade would mean having to purchase an OS also.

[E.B.S]

The biggest issue I see is that the SIS651 chipset on that board only supports 4X AGP. Although you could up grade, you wouldn't get the full benifits of a late model card.

The entire PC is pretty out of date. You may want to consider more of an up-grade. I know easier said than done $$$. Even thinking about using the card on a future PC is fairly limited as AGP is phasing out for PCIE. So if you do decide to go ahead I would stay cheap.

A note: If your thinking to upgrade the mobo to solve your 4X issue, remember that your OS is an OEM a typically linked to your mobo. So such an upgrade would mean having to purchase an OS also.

hmm ok see now im not very computer hardware savvy...so everything you said right there went right through me besides the fact that my comp is outdated ... :dunno: . Could you explain it in a simpler way? lol. From what I understood you said (1) it would be better to not buy a very expensive card because my system setup is getting phased out. Or else (2) i can change the motherboard and buy a new operating system as well? How much do you think the second option (2) would cost me? would it be smarter to just buy a new gaming pc?

[Lord_malak]

would it be smarter to just buy a new gaming pc?yes. If you still want a lappe, try a dell XPS or an alienware.

[E.B.S]

would it be smarter to just buy a new gaming pc?yes. If you still want a lappe, try a dell XPS or an alienware.

No, I hate laptops. I know for a fact that alienware is way overpriced and im not a big fan of dells either...hmm i wonder what good brands are out there. i like sony's but like i said, they're too brand whor-ish and kinda pricy too. :dunno:

Here's what im considering [From MDG Canada - www.mdg.ca ]:

- Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 650 with HT Technology (3.4 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
- Genuine Intel® 945G Motherboard
- 1GB Kingston® DDR2 Memory - Free upgrade to 2GB Kingston(r) DDR2 Memory
- 500GB Western Digital® 7200RPM Hard Drive - Ultra Fast Data Retrieval with Dataguard Protection Tools such as Shock GuardTM, S.M.A.R.T. and Online Diagnostic Service
- New 19" LCD Flat Panel Monitor [I'll probably exclude this since I already have one]
- High Speed DVD Burner Dual Layer Multi-Format- Nero Burning Software included
- ATI Radeon X300 512MB PCI Express - FREE UPGRADE TO GRAPHICS MEDIA ACCELERATOR 950 [What is media accelerator 950???]
- 5.1 High Definition Audio - Dolby Digital Surround Sound
- Genuine Microsoft® Ergonomic Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse
- Microsoft® Software Bundle

All for 1800 Canadian.
Good price? Is it missing anything?
any other companies offering comparable deals?

[Thrasher_Z]

Not bad although I am not a Intel fan and your selling yourself way short on graphics. The Intel setup will also limit your ability to upgrade do to the chipset (- Genuine Intel® 945G Motherboard ). This is the part on an Intel mobo that determines what processors and bus speeds are supported and every time Intel upgrades their CPU architecture you need an updated chipset to support it. Unlike the new AMDs whereas you could purchase a single core 3200 A64 and later just swap processors to upgrade to a duel core when funds provide. Make sure if you look into AMD your buying a 939 socket processor.

There are alot of posts in this section for suggested PCs you might want to look around.
Or some thing like one of these should be in your price range.
I would suggest when opting components get no less than a 6800gs,gt,ultra vid and maybe upgrade the sound if it is integrated.

http://www.abs.com/app/m6s_compare.asp

http://www.alienware.com/Product_Pages/desktop_all_gaming.aspx