Yeah, that is expensive. Not all computers cost near so much to upgrade. SkyDancer mentioned his computer having 2GB of RAM. If it isn’t already maxed out, maybe it could be upgraded to 4MB; that would not cost much. Always consult the manual for specs. I buy RAM on eBay for much than the retail prices you would have to pay at the retail stores.
My mother bought a Compaq from eBay a long time ago, and it was a terrible idea. I didn’t work right when we got it. I won’t trust PC components from eBay. I prefer to buy from Microcenter, because they’re actually an enthusiast’s place, and I can buy a 2-year warranty for parts, which is what I did for my mobo, AMD APU, and SSD.
All in all, cost me around $600. Gaming capable on low settings as well. I’ll be using it for years.