thanks guys for all the feedback
i think it is clear that i should just try and save up for an overall upgrade of the motherboard processor, ram and video card
i think i will go for a p4 1.6 ghz at least, ddr ram instead of SD ram, and a geforce 2 of some sort -- hopefully by the time i save up it will be probably a bit cheaper
this whole shared memory thing bugs me
once again cheers all for your feedback