Building from scratch V.S. Total Upgrade

G9

Daemon Poster
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Well let's see... I have the Alienware Full Tower case. Click here for the tower specs.

And as for my machine, I have the following:
2 optical drives, one for burning and one dual layer
256MB ATI FireGL v7100
10-in-1 media card reader
x1 400 GB 7200 RPM Hitachi with 8 MB cache
Alienware X2 Motherboard
2 GB Memory
2x Intel Xeon 3.4ghz processors
Sound Audigy 2

So what will I be changing?
I'm replacing the processors with 2 AMD Opteron Dual Core models, adding an optical drive (for a total of three, including a lightscribe drive), increasing the memory to 4 GB, obviously getting a new motherboard, upgrading the video card, and replacing the single harddrive with 4 raptors, 2 for RAID 1, and 2 for RAID 0. In addition, I'll be using these heatsinks for the processors and using this waterkit. Obviously, a new motherboard will be in order.

I'm wondering... would it be easier to merely replace all the parts, or start from scratch? Another question is if all the extra parts, like the water-cooling, will fit in the Alienware full-tower chassis. The obvious advantage of upgrading is that I won't need to buy a new case, memory, or power supply. But what other advantage is there?
 
I think you might as well do an entirely new build. You're almost replacing all the hardware as it is. Why not have two computers? If you don't want two, just sell the one you've got now and put the money into the new one.
 
Yeah, or I couuld use the old rig as a wireless network media server, as it has xeon processors and I don't have one as of yet (the server, that is).
 
yeah that would be sweet. Also i'd like to mention that mixing the DDR2 (which i am assuming is being used with the intel processor) is going to create problems with the opteron core (which only supports DDR RAM). So you would have to buy 4GBs anyway to make the switch over.
 
Eh, I see what you mean. I think I'll go with the recycling server option. Thanks for your help and council. :p
 
I think you should go with building a new comp, so it'll support all the new and upcoming technologies. Plus you have the freedom of putting together new parts instead of just using ur old stuff.
 
How much money do you have? (You dont have to tell me)(just make you think about it). Do you have enough to spare, to make a brand new computer. Do you need two computers? If you have the cash needed to make a brand new one, do it. Keep the other alienware as a server. It really only depends on your budget. But if you have enough money, might as well have two computers eh?
 
I have enough money, enough that is, to afford the monster I'm constructing.
 
speaking of which, let us know when you've got it built. Then post some pics. That is going to be one hell of a machine indeed!
 
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