well i dont have a credit card to actually order things online, i was planning on going to bestbuy to get the upgrade. but what's the OEM?
oh and my WEI score is 3.0.... and the lowest score (3.0) is on the 3d and gaming graphics area. would upgrading to windows7 bring this up or would it be better to wait and just buy a new laptop?
If you live in the USA, you can get a Netspend card for free. It costs a little to use it, usually around $1.00 per transaction.
It's a prepaid debit card basically. You can recharge it online from your bank account or there are many places which will recharge it for you. Some charge, some do it for free. I happen to be lucky and there's a huge supermarket chain in Texas that will recharge it for free.
OEM versions of Windows 7 are FULL VERSION software. It's just that you won't get any M$ tech support for it. You're basically on your own. It's for people who build computers for other people or their own computers. (M$ frowns on the people "who build their own" but not much they can do about it.) I have put OEM versions on several customers' and friends' computers with no issues at all. It will install on either a desktop or a laptop. OEM are sold with only one disc though, either 32 bit or 64 bit. BUT, you can use the product key for either version, so if you decide later you want to go from a 32 bit to a 64 bit you can download the 64 bit version ISO image.
OEM versions are the least expensive way to go with a Windows 7 install.
If you "truly" want a great game experience it's best to go the desktop route. There you can choose the components that best suit your needs; such as CPU, RAM, motherboard, video card, etc. Most laptops don't have the hardware necessary for a hardcore gamer. Laptops are limited by their cooling ability, CPU, video card, and RAM size.
There are some laptops that will run quite a few games, but like a desktop would with optimized video card and RAM.
For checking your system specs, there is a free software called: S.I.W. (System Information for Windows). It will give you a COMPLETE rundown of all your hardware, software, drivers, etc. I highly recommend it, plus it's free to non-business users.
Go to:
http://www.gtopala.com/ to download it. Look for the free version.
I hope this helps with your decision-making process.