Hi everyone,

So i bought a computer, mainly for writing and playing games. I´ve mostly just played with an Xbox 360 so i have no clue, hench my screen name Clueless, what is good on my new PC and what isn´t, and most of all how to update the CURRENT software which is pre-installed on my system.

So i kinda need an ´ Idiots Guide ´ type walkthrough in pretty much *everything*. / deep sigh.

Anyway, here is my current spec :

AMD Acer Phenom Triple Core. 6 Gb of DDR2 Ram. 1Tb HD Drive. Windows Vista 64 Bit Home Premium.
ATI Radeon HD4650 1Gb Graphics Card. ( The box says Up To 2431 Mb. What ever that means. ) I don´t think it´s an intergrated card since the 1Gb is supposedly the cards own memory, and does not take it from the main system memory.
It also came with a BlueRay /DVD R/W Combo thing.

So, my first question is, how do i update my current Graphics Card drivers?
I know i need to download the proper 64bit drivers from ATI, but i don´t know how to install them because i probably need to remove the old drivers first which came with the computer. How do i that?
This is where the ´ Idiots Guide ´ will come in handy. *lol*. I´m not joking since i have noooo clue how to even start the process, other than downloading the *.exe file from ATI onto my desktop.
And after i´ve removed the old drivers, restart and double click on the *.exe file and let it do it´s magick on it´s own?

/deep sigh.

Question number two. After i´ve updated my graphics card, i prolly need to use the automated Windows updater, or should i do that before i install any new graphics drivers? And what can i do to increase my computers performance since i´ve heard that Vista is a resource hog?

And finally, did i just waste my money 700 Euros, on a bad computer, or do i have a chanse to play games like Empire:Total War at somewhat goodish graphics? I really don´t mind CUTTING down extras such as shadows, and some filters or whatever those are called which remove jagged edges as long as the framerate is good or the game is playable at 1200 x 720 with an 22 inch widescreen monitor.

Thank you before hand, and please don´t get upset since i´m beign honest about this. I´m a total computer beginner.

With regards.
Hey Clueless,

It LOOKS like a pretty solid computer to me to be able to play games. I do not think you wasted your money.

Second, if you are upgrading your graphics drives from ATI drivers to new ATI drivers, you shouldn't have to uninstall the previous drivers I don't think. You should just be able to download and install. I would like someone else to comment on this though.

Last, you should be able to run the windows update at any point with no problem. Just go here, windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and follow Microsoft's directions. I would update Windows first.......*sigh* You SAID graphics card which means that it isnt intergrated on to the board at all. If it is in the top part of the TOWER it has on board if it connects to the lower part its a card. Visit ATI and put in what you have graphic card wise and the operating sytem which will take you to a download page and run it from there. No unless it isnt to that card, not sure were you got that your doing an update not a reinstall then there would be no software for it to update. Think of it more as a patch. I would creat a restore point before updateing not sure how in vista. probably if you updated before installing the new video drivers. Remove anything that your not useing in the taskbar. Cant really answer the last one but probably its only 700 so its probably not all that great of a machine.
Nice post here. Thanks for sharing.Okay? your Welcome
Quote from: squall_01 on April 17, 2009, 09:57:14 AM

Okay? your Welcome