Need to upgrade processor and/or graphics card. What are my options?

Ok, here's the deal. I have a Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop. It has a 1.6GHz AMD Turion processor. It also has an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 Graphics card. I'm not sure how much memory it has and I don't know how to find out, but I think it's either 128MB or 256MB. Probably the former.

I wish to run a game that requires a 2.4GHz processor and a 256MB graphics card.

I know very little about what processors/graphics cards are compatible with my computer or how much they cost.

What are my options?

 

How do I increase the shared video memory, and does this carry any risks?

Also, how do I install the ATI Catalyst video card?

Thanks.

 

I know how to access the setup menu, but how do I increase the shared video memory?
Also, is there a version of this catalyst driver for Windows Vista?

 

Okay, I found and installed the Catalyst Control Center, but it doesn't work; every time I try to activate the program, nothing happens. Any idea how I can rectify this?

 

I installed the Catalyst Control Center but it doesn't work. Whenever I click on the icon, nothing happens. I've tried clicking on the EXE file itself; same result.

Any idea what's wrong?

 

Okay, forget my last post; I've managed to get everything installed. What do I do next?

 

I have opened it but there doesn't seem to be anything about memory size. But it does tell me that the memory size is 800MB...that doesn't sound right, does it?

I've tried the game, it is no better.

Would upgrading the CPU make any difference?

 

Processor upgrades on laptops are limited as best. You definitely wouldn't see a huge performance increase. The laptop you have just isn't designed for gaming.

 

Is there anything else you can think of?

 

If a system doesn't meet the minimum hardware requirements for a program, and the computer can't be updated, there are no options.