So I decided to join the digital age and begin playing games on my computer, I have a HP Pavilion? notebook, Pentium 4, etc. Its a few years old. I went and bought a Diamond Stealth Graphics Accelerator Card, Radeon 9250, 128 MB, DDR, DVI, Dual Monitor, TV-Out, AGP Version.

Looking at this card and looking at my notebook computer I don't see how it can fit, did I buy the wrong video card, one that was for a desktop computer? If i did I know there are PCI cards, do I need one of those? Any help, advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the PC Guide Forums!! :D

And welcome to your first lesson in the differences between notebooks/laptops and desktops. ;)

First of all, you are correct. That vid card you bought is for a desktop. Return it at once! It won't fit in your HP notebook.

Unless you have an upgrade deal with HP, or unless HP has an upgrade program for your specific notebook, you can't upgrade the graphics adapter. Notebooks are not like desktops - they're designed for portability, not upgradeability. Upgrading requires user-servicable space and modular components. Notebooks are incredibly proprietary and have no room for internal components of varying dimensions (many vid cards for desktops have different sizes).

You can upgrade the RAM in a notebook, you can usually upgrade the hard drive, you can very rarely upgrade the CPU, you can add PCMCIA cards that stick out of the notebook's chassis, and you can add mini-PCI cards on the newer notebooks. Beyond that, you'd need a special (and expensive) gaming notebook like a 15lb Alienware Area 51 in order to have upgradeable graphics. I can almost assure you that your HP won't be upgradeable in this sense.

Thanks saphalline, wish I would have known this prior to purchasing said video card

This is how we learn...

You should have seen me the first time I installed Windows! :p

Well, how good are you with a soldering iron?.........Just kidding! Saphalline is dead on as usual.

Well, how good are you with a soldering iron?.......Hahahahaaa! :D

A giant vid card sticking out of a laptop... That would be funny! Probably need another battery just to run the vid card, though! :p And it would never quite sit flat again. Hehe...