Updating my computer

[Liminality]

Well I wanted to update my computer a bit since it seems to be a bit lacking in the power department so I'm looking to buy some things from tigerdirect after doing my homework on them for a day or two.
To make it easier here's my current system I'm working with.
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Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 3 (build 2600)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: English (United States) Compaq Presario
Enclosure Type: Desktop

2.40 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache
64-bit ready
Not hyper-threaded Board: ASUSTek Computer INC. NAGAMI2 2.00
Bus Clock: 199 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 3.11 09/19/2006
Drives Memory Modules c,d
250.03 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity


TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H652L [CD-ROM drive]

Slot 'A0' has 512 MB
Slot 'A1' has 512 MB
Slot 'A2' is Empty
Slot 'A3' is Empty
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Now I wanted to upgrade the PSU (Which is currently 300Watts), get a video card (I only have an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE) and upgrade the RAM.

Here are the products I'm looking to buy.
Ultra LSP650 650-Watt Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, SLI-Ready, 135mm Fan

EVGA GeForce 9500 GT Video Card - 1GB DDR2, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Support, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, VGA Support
And
2x Transcend 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz Memory (For 3GB total)

I checked to make sure I have a PCIe slot for the video card and my motherboard uses DDR memory for it's RAM but I'm just wondering if it'll all work together. I'm still new to this so I might be missing something so obvious or something nitty gritty.

If you need anymore info on my computer I'd be glad to post it if I can.

 

[Muffin Man]

the psu and card you picked would total $130. this psu and card would total a little less, and perform better.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies
Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100225L Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

 

[Liminality]

I'm still new at this and the answer is probably right in front of my eyes but, how is the 400W PSU better than the 650W psu I picked out?

Same with the graphics card, not sure what really makes some better than others.

Is it just it'll work better with my motherboard?

 

[Muffin Man]

well i meant better really for the graphics card. take a look at this thread which is stickied at the top of this subforum.
http://www.techist.com/forums/f76/graphics-performance-list-212331/

to give you an example, you had picked a 9500 gt, which is ranked at #50. the 3870 i suggested for you is ranked at #27. all the cards are listed according to their performance, #1 being the best, so pretty simple to figure out the rest.

as for the psu, having a higher wattage psu doesnt make it better, especially if they arent from a good brand. i dont know how good ultra psus are, but i do know that corsair is one of the best and you dont need 650w. that 400w psu i suggested will have plenty of power for your rig, its the amps that matter more than the wattage.

plus, i was trying to stay within the same amount of money you were spending on a psu and graphics card. im assuming you chose those because you have a set budget in mind. those are better options though.

 

[Liminality]

Thanks for the reply muffin, I wasn't doubting your computer expertise it was just curiosity.

 

[kmote]

Ultra is on the avoid list here: http://www.techist.com/forums/f75/read-first-power-supply-guide-167793/

Even if this is one of the Ultras that are not so bad, it is not as good as the corsair.