swee'pea99
Squire
First things first, download this - http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-SystemCare-Free/3000-2086_4-10407614.html - and install & run it on your existing machine. It probably won't stop it crashing altogether, but it certainly won't hurt. Second, have you opened up the case lately? If not, you should: it's probably full of great pads of dust that are causing it to overheat, which may not be the only reason it's crashing, but certainly won't be helping. You can do both of those in about ten minutes, for zero cost, and they could well make a big difference.
Then, I would suggest, at least think about looking on ebay. People upgrade all the time, and their castoffs go for a penny in the pound. Look first and foremost at the seller's feedback. Several hundred ratings and 100%, you're almost certainly dealing with an ok seller. Then email them with an enquiry or two, just to get the cut of their jib. You should be able to get the kind of spec you're after for £100 without any real difficulty. The most important thing is RAM. Get yourself a machine with 8gb, or better yet 16, and it'll almost certainly have all the other stuff you're after. Personally I'd look for Dell, or HP or Lenovo. All their higher end stuff (which is what you'd be getting if you paid £100+ on ebay) is bulletproof.
But get your current machine as fit as possible for starters. If you can get that stabilised, it gives you a bit of breathing space to look for something better. Good luck.
Then, I would suggest, at least think about looking on ebay. People upgrade all the time, and their castoffs go for a penny in the pound. Look first and foremost at the seller's feedback. Several hundred ratings and 100%, you're almost certainly dealing with an ok seller. Then email them with an enquiry or two, just to get the cut of their jib. You should be able to get the kind of spec you're after for £100 without any real difficulty. The most important thing is RAM. Get yourself a machine with 8gb, or better yet 16, and it'll almost certainly have all the other stuff you're after. Personally I'd look for Dell, or HP or Lenovo. All their higher end stuff (which is what you'd be getting if you paid £100+ on ebay) is bulletproof.
But get your current machine as fit as possible for starters. If you can get that stabilised, it gives you a bit of breathing space to look for something better. Good luck.
