Upgrading my compaq presario 5000 series 5610AP pc

urshobhit · #1 (**permalink**) 15-08-2009, 12:16 PM

Sir i have an compaq 5000 series 5610AP pc with intel p4 1.5 , Chipset INTEL 845
and i want to upgrade the RAM and Graphic card of my pc please tell me How much maximum RAM and Graphic Card iis Compatible with my pc .
Here are the specs by belarc

Operating System
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 (build 2600)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: English (United States)

System Model
Compaq Y20AAACB
System Serial Number: P144JG3Z0426
Chassis Serial Number: P144JG3Z0426
Enclosure Type: Desktop

Processor a
1.50 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache
Not hyper-threaded

Main Circuit Board b
Board: Compaq 077Ch
Serial Number:
Bus Clock: 400 megahertz
BIOS: Compaq 686Y2 v3.04 07/29/2002

Drives
200.02 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
59.91 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

SONY DVD RW DRU-835A [CD-ROM drive]

Maxtor 4D040H2 [Hard drive] (40.02 GB) -- drive 1, s/n D27AF2RE, rev DAH017K0, SMART Status: Healthy
ST3160215A [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 9RA15J1P, rev 3.AAC, SMART Status: Healthy

Memory Modules c,d
384 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

Slot 'XMM1' has 256 MB
Slot 'XMM2' has 128 MB (serial number FF671C02)
Slot 'XMM3' is Empty

Controllers
Standard floppy disk controller
Intel(R) 82801BA Ultra ATA Storage Controller - 244B
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]

Display
NVIDIA Vanta/Vanta LT (Microsoft Corporation) [Display adapter]
COMPAQ MV540 [Monitor] (13.8"vis, November 2001)

Bus Adapters
Intel(R) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2442
Intel(R) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2444
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller (2x)
VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller

Multimedia
Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio Controller

Communications
Conexant HSF V92 56K PCI Modem

Intel(R) PRO/100 VM Network Connection
primary APIPA Address:
Physical Address:

Waiting for quick reply .

Digerati · #2 (**permalink**) 15-08-2009, 01:51 PM

Hi and welcome.

Sadly, I am unable to find the specifications for that exact model number (5610AP). I cannot determine what that board has for expansion slots so you can upgrade your graphics. You will need to look in your motherboard manual, at the motherboard, or maybe another reader can find a link to your board's specifications to see what slots it has. Hopefully, it has an AGP slot, but if not, there is probably a PCI - not to be confused with PCI Express (PCIe). If you are currently using on board graphics, then just about any compatible card will yield noticeably improved performance as the card will likely have a better GPU, but more importantly, it will be populated with it's own dedicated RAM tweaked for graphics processing. This means the system RAM previously snagged for graphics process can be returned for use by the CPU and operating system. A good thing.

HOWEVER, adding RAM, and more significantly, upgrading graphics places a bigger demand on the power supply unit (PSU), and sadly, it is typical for factory-made PCs to be equipped with PSUs that have little headroom for power hungry HW upgrades. So you may need to upgrade your PSU BEFORE upgrading graphics.

Adding RAM is generally easier on PSUs, and offers the best bang for the money when starting with small amounts of RAM (and 384Mb is not very much). So I would start with adding RAM. The "sweetspot" for XP with single core CPUs is 1Gb, where less is a bottleneck, and more offers little, if any noticeable improvement. With multi-core CPUs and Vista/Win7, I recommend at least 2 Gb.

These popular RAM makers have auto-scanning and/or manual entry RAM wizards to help you determine which RAM is compatible with your motherboard. For manual entry, enter/select the PC or motherboard make and model number and the wizard will list compatible RAM.

Crucial - Memory Advisor
Corsair - Memory Configurator (manual data entry only)
GeIL - Memory Configurator (manual data entry only)
Kingston - Memory Search (manual data entry only)
Mushkin - Advisor
OCZ - Memory Configurator (manual data entry only)
Patriot - Memory Search (manual data entry only)
PNY - Memory Configurator (manual data entry only)
SuperTalent - Memory Finder (manual data entry only)

The following retailers have auto-scanners and manual wizards. They sell brand name and/or "house" brand (re-branded) RAM.

Newegg - Memory Configurator System Tool
MemoryStock - Upgrade Configurator
18004Memory – Configurator
4AllMemory - Memory advisor (automatic and manual)
TigerDirect - Memory Configurator (manual data entry only)

urshobhit · #3 (**permalink**) 15-08-2009, 04:40 PM

thanks for your reply sir i have checked with the linky given by you i.e crucial advisor and that gives give the following results
* Maximum Memory Capacity: 3072MB
* Currently Installed Memory: 384MB
* Available Memory Slots: 1
* Total Memory Slots: 3
* Dual Channel Support: No
* CPU Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
* CPU Family: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1500MHz Model 0, Stepping 10
* CPU Speed: 1495 MHz
* The name of this model may not exactly match the model description of your system, our system scanner could not identify a specific model name when evaluating your computer. However, it was able to identify the motherboard your system utilizes.
Q: Will my system recognize the maximum upgrade?

A: Possibly

How much memory your Windows OS will recognize depends on which version of Windows you are running. 32-bit versions of Windows will see (and utilize) only 3GB or 3.5GB. To utilize more memory, install a 64-bit version of your OS. More information about OS memory maximums can be found at
Q: What memory goes into my computer, and can I mix speeds?

A: SDRAM memory with support for SDRAM, PC133 speeds.

Because SDR memory is backward-compatible, you can safely upgrade your system with any of the guaranteed-compatible SDR speeds listed below.

Q: How much memory can my computer handle?

A: 3072MB.

Adding the maximum amount of memory will improve performance and help extend the useful life of your system as you run increasingly demanding software applications in the future.

please tell me the results are correct or not

for graphic card my pc have an AGP slot and currents graphic card is nvidia vanta which is just 8 mb so please tell me what card is compatible with my pc.

Digerati · #4 (**permalink**) 15-08-2009, 05:49 PM

If you were running 64-bit Windows, you would know it. So you are safe to assume 32-bit. That said, the RAM itself does not care.

While Crucial is one of the more trustworthy brands, I would verify their results with other RAM wizards.

Yes, you can mix speeds, but typically the system slows down to the slowest. So generally, it is better to pull the old and install all new.

There are still many AGP cards you can use. I suggest you set a budget and go for it. That said, this is an old computer and any new RAM or graphics card you buy today will NOT be compatible with any new motherboard, should you decide to upgrade next year, or if this motherboard fails. So I would not go overboard on upgrading this old computer, and consider getting just 1 Gb of RAM (2 x 512Mb may be cheaper than 1Gb modules) and a decent graphics card with lots of memory on board. But remember, your PSU must be able to support it. Here is my canned text on selecting a new supply.

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home), I recommend setting TDP to 100%. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
Efficiency,
Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label.

urshobhit · #5 (**permalink**) 17-08-2009, 04:41 PM

model no. of my pc is compaq presario 5000 5600AP but on memory website its showing that maximum 384 pc100 ram is compatible but curretnly my pc have pc133 ram installed so now please tell me how much maximum RAM is compatible with my pc.

Digerati · #6 (**permalink**) 18-08-2009, 04:53 AM

You can use PC133 in place of PC100.

Quote:

so now please tell me how much maximum RAM is compatible with my pc.

I already showed you how to figure that out, and you already found out. According to your Crucial report, you have 3 slots and a max of 3Gb. So that's tells me you can buy 3 sticks of 1Gb PC133.

I would try a couple other wizards to verify.