Hello Jperzio, 300 pounds equals roughly 609 dollars so you could upgrade quite a bit.

2 Gigabytes of Ram would probably provide the most noticable performance increase and depending on what type of memory you run it could cost less than a hundred dollars for a another 1gb stick. Do you have just a single 1bg stick in there currently or 2 512mb modules?

In the US I know you could get a 22 inch monitor for 260 dollars or so from Acer, not sure exactly what the situation in the UK is like or how much it would cost to ship a monitor from the US.

It might be possible to upgrade your processor to a Core2 Duo but I'd have to know more about your motherboard to be certain. Upgrading to an E6600 would also (I think) provide a noticable performance leap as well.

Your graphics card is probably fine, but you might consider jumping to an 8800gs 320mb for roughly 350 dollars. I would look to the ram and processor first before upgrading your graphics card though.

The issues you're having with larger numbers of planets probably is related to the amount of ram you have, or possibly the graphics card if it is having trouble drawing all those systems.

If you could go into a little more detail about your setup, ie. Motherboard make and model, Ram make and model, current monitor size, it would help let me give a more tailored response.

Order of priority for upgrades(In my own opinion):
1. Ram
2. Processor
3. Monitor
4. Graphics card

The mobo you have supports up to 2gbs of Ram so you'll probably wan't to grab either a single 1gb stick or 2 512mb sticks depending on which is cheaper. Given that your motherboard supports up to DDR2-667 I think that's what your system is currently loaded with. Prices for 2 512mb modules runs from ~50usd/25gbp on up, it would help if you could confirm the speed of your Ram.
A listing of DDR2-667 2*512 modules at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147+1052408745+1052308476&name=1GB+(2+x+512MB)

Ok, according to that page you can indeed upgrade to a Core2 Duo. I'd go with a E6600 if you can swing the price ~223usd/110gbp. If you can't do that then you're curre
The processor I use at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003 (~223usd+shipping)

Personally I'd go crazy if I tried to live with a 17inch monitor again so take a look at the offerings in the UK. I upgraded from a 15 inch to a 22inch and it was the single best upgrade I've ever made. If you do decide to upgrade your monitor, you'll want to look into upgrading the graphics card as well; driving the larger monitors higher resolution will put more strain on your old card.
The monitor I use at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094 (~240usd/118gbp+shipping)

Your graphics card is really plenty fast for Sins, but if you would like to upgrade it then go for an 8800gts 320 or 640. Again, upgrading your ram is much more important, and your processor slightly more important. Prices for the 8800gts start from ~280usd/138gbp for the 320mb version and ~360usd/177gbp for the 640mb version.
The 8800gts at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+106791921+1067924922&name=GeForce+8800GTS

(And yes I am a newegg.com fan)

As an afterthough, are you running integrated sound or do you have a dedicated card?

i might spens 130 on new g card then 110 on new ram after that id save 100ish to get new prossesor? ig to my pc from pc world as well as my g card. i might take it there and see what they say.
PNY
GEFORCE 7
GEFORCE 7600GT 256MB PCI-E GRAPHICS CARD

this is my g card dont have a clue on what mem iv got i know its ddr2 and iv got 2 512 sticks and max of 2 slots (dose any ddr2 fit in anny ddr2 capable pcs?)

but i think my g card is good it can play bf2142 no hitches on max settings so i think ill go with the mem and the prossesor.

HOW DO U KNOW IF U MOTHERBOARD CAN TAKe DUO? ill just take it in ill go in on october

First off before you start picking out any parts, which graphics interface is your current 7600GT on? Is it PCI-E or AGP?

After you find that out, then you can look at what options there are for a better card. If it's AGP, then the best nvidia option is the 7900GS from XFX. If it's PCI-E, then the best nvidia card is the 8900GT (the 8800GTX performs just as well and cheaper).


If you're using DDR2 RAM, you shouldn't need to spend anywhere near 300 Euros. Around 150-180 Euros should cover 2 1GB sticks of DDR2 RAM. I would just upgrade RAM to 2 GBs. It offers the performance needed when you reach 100 planets.


You mentioned you have a Pentium D (3Ghz). That is a dual-core CPU already. Intel doesn't make single-core Pentium Ds (the D means Dual-core). And if it is indeed 3Ghz, then you most likely have a socket LGA 755 and prolly using the Pentium D 945. It performs about as well as a Core 2 4320.

As for a processor upgrade, I'd check to see if your current BIOS version on your HP machine supports Core 2 Duos and which ones it supports. Just b/c the board is socket 755 doesn't mean the BIOS will recognize a Core 2 Duo.

@Acreo Aeneas
Thank you for providing a comparitive Core 2 Duo processor to his current one. His motherboard does in fact support Core 2 Duo processors, the information on his motherboard can be found here:
http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/index.php?i=spec_cuba&ppn=PB34338701

@Jperzio
2 Gigs of the fastest DDR2 memory your computer supports will likely solve your problem, it sounds to me like it is being forced to page the hard-drive when it runs out of memory. The information on your memory sounds like PC-5300 memory (which is the same thing as DDR2-667), with timings of 5-5-5-12. PC-5300/DDR2-667 memory modules are the fastest listed as compatible with your motherboard.

Upgrading your memory is the most important of the upgrades we've discussed, buying a new processor and a new graphics card are entirely optional. I do believe you will notice a performance increase if you opt to buy a new processor, and in games besides Sins you will appreciate the eye candy the new graphics card allows. A new graphics card will help you play with more planets, but probably won't increase the visual quality of the game.

Would you be willing to post the information on which Graphics Card and Memory Kit you'll be buying?