For the RAM I can't help you much, as I know little about DDR, I hopped on the high end computer scene when Intel switched to DDR2.

As for the video card, you're running XP so you won't need DX10 anyways.
I'm going to suggest the 7600GT from nVidia, it'll save you a couple bucks too going this route. More specifically from EVGA though, because they have the best warranty there is and customer service in case of an RMA is the best there is in the industry. This card will be TONS better than the current one you have and be able to play a mojority of games very well.

Link: (This is pretty much the only place I buy PC stuff from. Top notch store, great to deal with, fast shipping and low prices.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130062



EDIT: Yeah the 8600GT is also a good card within your budget. I would suggest going with EVGA though.

 

that'll do ya--- cept for the card being out of stock from newegg

 

1. The stock power supply will have a hard time handling anything much stronger than the X300 you already have. The 7600GT or the 8600GT will be pushing it.

2. The Corsair *should* work, but this is *guaranteed* to work:

http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...RA820%20Series

 

It looks like you are barking up the right tree Thump. The 8600 is a great buy right now, and will perform nicely. EVGA and XFX are both good choices. As for the RAM, glc's research showed Crucial to be a perfect choice. I didn't find that model # on Newegg though.

glc - Why do you say that about his PSU? Do you have some inside info on his PSU specs? I didn't see anything listed on the spec sheet Thump posted. The last VAIO I worked on had a proprietary PSU , so we should get more info on that. I'm out of time, but all I found so far is that it might possibly be proprietary also.

 

My XFX 8800GT recommends at least a 500w ps. Haven't looked to see what the 8600 recommends but it's probably close to the same. That model VAIO came with a 365w.

 

I believe that 500 is for an SLI setup.

 

First you need to see what the max memory for your PC is. It could be 2gb or 4gb. 4x512mb or 4x1gb. Next a 32bit OS can see over 4gb if you enable the /pae switch in the boot.ini file. You can definitly get a pretty good graphics card for around $100. The new egg video card should be fine. You have a somewhat unique PC as it is because of the Liquid Cooling.

 

Max memory is 2gb as per the Crucial link. 4 slots, 512mb max per slot.

There are very few name brand computers that have a power supply adequate for a gaming quality video card unless it was built to be a gamer to begin with. A Radeon X300 is not gaming quality, it was entry level back then. They are all sized to handle what the computer ships with with very little headroom for an upgrade over and above what was standard or optional from the factory. I'm basing this on my 15 years in the computer building/repair business and my experience in being the admin for a computer forum.

If it is in fact 365 watts, if it's made by a quality manufacturer and has adequate amperage on the +12 volt rails, it may be able to handle a 8600GT. I can help you with this decision if you can open the case and read the label on the power supply. You may need to remove the 3 or 4 screws holding the power supply in the rack and slide it out to see it if the label is not on the visible side. I need any indication of manufacturer and model, I need the rated amps on +12v1 and +12v2, and look near the UL logo for a six digit "E" number (example - E123456).

If you can get a good digital photo of the label and post it, that would be a plus.

This may sound excessively **** to a lot of you, but without adequate quality power, you are jeopardizing the health of the rest of your components. Power supplies are the most overlooked quality factors in computers and one of the few things that can cause collateral damage if they fail due to overload or substandard quality issues. I replace a lot of them, and have replaced my share of motherboards that got zapped by a flaky power supply.

 

The 8800's are a little out of his price range... by a couple hundred bucks.

 

I did a little digging - a 8600GT requires a 350 watt ATX 2.0 power supply, dual +12v rails recommended. *IF* the Sony has a 365 and it's a decent quality brand, it should be good to go.

 

So, I should just go with another pair of 512 mb sticks right?

The power supply is made by Delta Electronics Inc. The model is DPS-400LB A. The voltage is 364.7 watt max. I'm going to try to get a picture of the label but it's coming out hard to read.

I completely understand about that and don't want to risk anything. It's the exact reason why I came here instead of getting trigger happy ordering things that I had no idea about.

 

The power supply can't be that bad, it has been running for 4 years.

 

Yes, another pair of 512 sticks is all you can use.

Your power supply is good to go. Delta is an excellent brand and that's actually 400 watts. It's got dual +12V, 12 amps on each. No pic needed, I know what that one is.

It will run an 8600 series card with no problem, an 8800 would be pushing it.

 

How many +12v rails does it have and at what amperage?

 

^^^^^^^^^^

2 rails, 12 amps each.