malebirth25 wrote:
So maybe 2 more gigs of RAM and a $150-$250 graphics card and I'm good?
This goes without saying, but be sure to do your homework ahead of time. Make sure that the components (PSU and GPU) you buy will actually physically fit into the tower case itself. Pre-fab computers can be a bit tricky to upgrade in part because of tower design.
Not to say that you can't do it -- just be aware of what your motherboard can handle, that your GPU isn't so long or large that it will bump into other components, and any other potential issues that may arise. PC makers sometimes design the internal geography based on a specific set of parts.
Fortunately, though, sites like this also exist:
http://www.4allmemory.com/video-card/compaq-hp-pavilion-P6654Y/ Upgrading factory PCs isn't all that uncommon, so you usually won't be the only one who has thought to upgrade their HP Pavillion. If you are persistent you can usually google threads where people have made upgrades to the same or similar models. A lot of the time they will list specific parts; and it's always better knowing exactly what will work in your PC.
Honestly though, since you've already built your own PCs, I wouldn't waste money on upgrading the HP and would instead reinvest it into new internals. If you've already built your own rigs in the past, then you likely already have a lot of the groundwork done in terms of case, PSU, peripherals, etc.
Edited, Jun 30th 2013 11:20am by Aasher 
