After tireless hours on the phone with Gateway and Microsoft, seems there is no fix to my problems with Vista and with the RAM issue im having. I have decided to scrap my computer for parts to design my next computer and run windows 7 on the new one. I would like feed back on if my plans sound like they are on target . I plan to buy a new mother board example Bio star TA790GXE, computer case, run a AMD PHENOM 2X4 945 QUAD CORE. The following I would use my old computer, DVD RW drive, western dig 500 GB hard drive,my video card GE FORCE 9800 GT 512 MB, 550 watt power source, two 2 GB ram sticks to give me a total of 4gb RAM. Then use windows 7 as my operating system. Is this possible for a rookie computer operator who knows just the basics about computer's to do this or am I getting over my head. Only other option is to load windows 7 on my current PC and hope the problems fixes it self and was just VISTA the whole time that was the problem. Thanks in advance to all suggestions and look forward to hearing back from all.

What is happening? Didn't you say it was only displaying a gig of memory rather than 2 gigs? What kind of gateway is it? And just so you know it sounds like a BIOS issue. Vista only reads what the BIOS tells it. You could try flashing the BIOS to see if that corrects the issue.

Hell upgrade now you made the decision.

Max out the ram w all it will read/take. So find that out about the motherboard. Also what speed ram. Make it fast. Leave room for expansion slots. Sound, Video, TV. You can do  it and have plenty of BK resources. Balance the board w the chip. All things considered good chi,p board,  ram is cheap and biggest bang for your buck.

It sounds like you are getting the right things.  I  don't think you should have any problems putting together you new system.  If you run into any snags give me a call.  PM me and I can give you my cell number if you want.  Also you might want to get a bigger power supply with the quad core.  I have a 650watt but it is up to you.

One of the biggest things to do is try to work in a static free environment. I always do this work in the kitchen on the center island with my shoes on and no lose clothing. I know I maybe a little overly careful but static build up is a huge problem for computers.

GOA.Luke*BK*

It would be helpful if you supplied us with links to the parts :P

You can build a decent running AMD machine for around 6-7 bucks and a good intel machine for 8-900; just depends on what you want and how you get the parts;

Just remember to never skimp on the MOBO , Power Supply , and CPU because odds are once your in a certain chipset you cant go higher until you build a new machine ( so for example get a better cpu that 8 gigs of ram )

For a good place to look for barebones (Basic build parts that are compatible for a cheaper price ) are

Newegg;

http://www.newegg.com/Store/MasterComboStore.aspx?StoreID=7&name=DIY-PC-Combos
 
Tigerdirect;

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=31&name=Barebone-Kits

I built my gaming rig last year with the help of my son in law. It was my first gaming computer build. For the most part I'm happy with it, espeically my video card which is a geoforce GTX-280. I think a key component to any gaming system is the video card, don't skimp when it comes to this. Problem is, those type of video cards are power hungry. This one uses 500 watts...just for the vid card.  So the power supply is key also.

Also, something I overlooked was  the case. I got a mid tower and I wish I would have gotten a full tower. It makes for an easier build and it's easier to access to repair and clean. Make sure the case is a "gaming" case and comes with lots of fans for cooling. You could also cool with liquid but I think thats more hassle than what benefit you get out of it.

Thanks for the responses, ill know more of what im going to get when I know what kind of tax return im getting this year, thanks for the help guy's, look forward to seeing you guys soon

I agree with the others when it comes to power supplies.  You never want to buy a cheap one.  Spend that 100 bucks on a decent 600-700 watt power supply.   It's well worth the money.  Also, I would suggest if you are upgrading your operating system to go 64 bit, you can then stick in 6-8 gigs of ram instead of the 3.2 32 bit systems actually read.  The 9800GT is still a good card, I have an 8800GT in a box that is still blazing fast for gaming, so if you are pinching pennies for the time being you definitely don't need to buy a new card.

Like McPain touched on, a good case can make or break a system.  These days a lot of people go with brands like Rosewill because they are cheap.  The problem with that is they are cheap because they are made cheaply.  Sharp edges, sometimes bent parts, ect.  You don't necessarily need a full tower case to have plenty of room and airflow.  I suggest the NZXT Beta series of cases.  A great brand and a great case.  I use one myself.  There is plenty of airflow, cable management, and it looks pretty dang smooth.  When I build my next computer I will be using one of these again.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146059&cm_re=nzxt_beta-_-11-146-059-_-Product  here's the case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817159058  a decent MODULAR power supply.  Modular power supplies are great as you only connect the cables you need to use.  Helps promote airflow within the case.

Don't get burned on a case. Most gaming cases are money out the window. Not fashionable but 100% true. Get the 64bit so you can pump up the ram. You sound like you are headed in the right direction. Once it's all installed upgrade the MOBO drivers first then the vid card. Then the OS.  Have another computer online when you boot it up to investigate any errors along the way.

You can buy boot up pci cards that will tell you where errors are generating from for like $40 but probably not worth the money for 1 build.

Expect something to come up but will be fixable. Eventually. lol

Your build looks good, take your time when it comes to installing HS and CPU fan, I am in NE Florida and have built many systems, if you find yourself with a problem I may be able to help. Good luck and remember Take Your Time during assembly.

One other thing the schematics that come with the motherboard. Some are better then others. If you have a magnifying glass to read the text on the motherboard it might be helpful.
Make sure whether or not your chip comes with heat goop backing. If not buy some. Save you a second trip to the store.

I would also get another hard drive.  Use one drive for OS and the other for programs.  Hard drives are cheap.  Partitioning the drive is good but you are still working off the same drive.  Also take your time and make the case clean.  Move cables out of the way so that they dont restrict air flow.  Zip ties work great.

If you are waiting for you tax return, I would buy Win 7 and see if that "fixes" your problem.  You are going to have to buy it anyway, so start there first.
My .02.

To me the main thing you want to do is stick with a good brand power supply; Cheaper power supplies lack a good solid 12v rail and rare actually meet there "supposed" wattage. Corsair has some pretty good power supply for a decent amount of money

When it comes to cases, its more complicated than just buying a cheap case; basically it comes down to how breathable a case is. If it only has 2 fans ( one on top and one on the side its not going to be that good of a case ) the base case for most computer builders is the HAF series from Coolermaster; its the case i use mainly due to the part its a tool less case for the most part and no sharp edges;

Just remember the golden rule; The MOST important part in a PC that ends up killing most gaming machines (bottlenecks them ) is the hard drive; Never buy slow cheap drives; the SLOWEST id get hard drive wise is a 7200rpm drive ( which isn't that fast anymore )