Upgrading suggestions

[duh-huh-wha?]

ok i want to upgrade my computer to handle all the new games coming out (HL2, doom3, etc.). now i am a pretty big gamer on a low performance computer. i just want to know what would best enhance my gaming fps and quality

Here are my specs:
Emachine <--- model t2482
AMD Athlon XP 2400+ @ 2.0
AM37 M.B.
512 DDR ram pc2100
Radeon 9600 pro 128 mb

i have about a 300$ cap
i was bending towards a MB/processor upgrade but all the compatiblity and installation issues just gave me a headache
i think the best and easiest course would to upgrade my ram and vid card but i dont know if it would make a large impact(since they seem relativlyup to date). basically i want to know if it is my processor, vid card, ram , etc. that is slowing me down if not all of it

 

[El Presidente]

Just an idea...

I think that your processor is decent. Faster RAM always helps; see if your motherboard can handle PC3200. I would say a bare minimum of 512Mb of RAM. If you have money leftover, see how you can upgrade your video card (make sure its an AGP graphics card). Good luck! :grinthumb