What's wrong with my computer? Not enough RAM or the Processor or what?

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rocket1406

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Hi. My computer has trouble even handling a Shockwave game + MSN Messenger running at the same time.

I was hoping you guys could help me. Prior to one year ago, I remember everything working fine. But I'm not sure if I had Windows XP at the time.

Here are pictures of my CPU usage (Graph of Memory Usage and List of Processes):

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=7/20407481288.jpg&s=x1
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=7/20407481932.jpg&s=x1
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=7/20407482658.jpg&s=x1

Maybe you guys can tell me if the RAM is too low or something, or if the processor is broken/old, or if I'm just running too many background processes (which ones can I disable and how?)

My specs:
Compaq Presario 5330US:
Pentium 4 1.7 GHz
512 MB SDRAM
80 GB Hard Drive
64 MB nVidia GeForce2 MX card

Thanks so much in advance guys. This PC is really ticking me off.

**Note: I can get an additional 512 MB SDRam bought and installed for $120. But if RAM isn't the problem in your opinion, then I don't want to waste the money.
 
***One note I want to make:

I ran the computer in Selective Startup, disabling all non-Windows programs, and I still could not play a simple Shockwave game (INKLINK) without it lagging and freezing and slowing down and catching up.
 
It certainly looks good enough to play simple flash games...maybe your Harddrive is too full? I mean, your comp isn't really for gaming, but it should easily play those simple games....hmm
 
First of all, do not pay $120 for 512mb of sdram. Yo can buy the stuff on Ebay for dirt. When is the last time you defrag'd your hard drive? I would be looking at the possibility that you have spyware running in th back gournd and I would suggest, if you have not already done so, buying a spyqare detector/cleaner such as Aluria or Xcleaner et. al. The other issue is the video card! You should really consider getting a newer card. Nvidia 6600gt's are going cheap these days so.......finally, is this a new problem or has everything been kosher until just recently?
 
I run Norton SystemWorks Antivirus, Spybot S&D, and Ad-Aware SE every once in a while, and usually just a few things come up.

I've reformatted in the past, and I still get slowdown problems.

Getting a video card is not my priority because I'm saving up for a new computer in December.

I'm trying to backup all my data, and will do a new reformat.

Then I will post pictures of my CPU Graph and Applications running after the reformat.

I have lots of stuff to burn/backup so it will take me probably one day.
 
Make sure that everything runnin on your processes should be i noticed Drwatson which doesnt have to run. some others i didnt recongize. Double check that you dont have spyware or virus. Google some of the processes and see what they are and if they need to be running. If not shut them down and that should help a bit. Check your starup...Run>msconfig>startup tab....make sure that you only ahve the bare neccessities startup and start the ones you want after it loads. That should help a bit also with the slowdown.
 
I agree with DJ-chris, and RicoDirenzo, what the hell do you think people have that much money to buy stuff like video card. i don't know why people always say buy a new 6600gt video card.
 
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