Current rig is in my sig. I also have some spare parts and bits laying around (8800gt etc). My current rig pretty much suits my needs with one exception, I need to record guitar and vocals using a Line6 Toneport UX2. While it works great on my current rig and guitar is not an issue the room that I'm in also contains the uptake vent for the furnace and isn't very quiet (rules out the condenser mic for vocals
). This is compunded by the fact that Mrs. Rabbit (who is in possesion of all that's important 
) says I can't move my main rig upstairs to the spare bedroom since she would like to see me on occasion.This leads me to the choices:
1. Keep my existing box as is and build another rig just for recording to go into the makeshift studio upstairs. Integrated GPU is fine for the apps to run on this and it will be running Home Premium 32bit (I know I cant use the full 4gb RAM but I will max what I can use). This is what I was thinking:
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129034
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128353
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115054 (This would go into my current box and my current 6850 would go into the recording box)
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231122
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136316 (This would also replace the 320 and 500 GB Seagate and WD in my existing Rig)
That total is $711.95 sans shipping and would allow me to have a minor upgrade to my main rig and have a full up second box just for recording.
=OR=
2. I could do this:
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128362
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115202
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231223
This total is $788.97 sans shipping and I would have to wait to build the recording rig till I could get a case and PSU later (tax time cometh
).The question is, will I gain a LOT going from my current setup to the i7, or would doing the minor upgrade and just building the second box now be a better option? Note that I also have some play room with option 1 (don't really NEED the WD RE3 for example) but there is little wiggle room with the i7 choice price wise.
TIA for any advice.