2 systems - which to keep

[Smudger]

Hi,
I have 2 PCs at the moment, as follows:

PC1
Core2Duo e8500
Asus P5K-e
4Gb Ram (PC8500 DDR2, I think)
XFX 4890 GPU
Full size case

PC2
Athlon II x4 630
Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H mATX
8Gb RAM (10666 DDR3)
Onboard graphics
SFF case

I had PC1 as my main PC, then started an MCITP course, so needed something to act as a server, hence the large amounts of RAM in PC2.

My question is, which would I be best off keeping, once I finish my course? The chips seem much of a muchness, and I can put the 4890 in either of the PCs. The use is general internet + the odd game of CoD/Half Life, etc.

I appreciate that the PC2 mother board probably has more life in it, but would it be able to take a new generation chip when they're released?

Thanks in advance...

[Phage]

No - it won't take Bulldozer, but nowt wrong with a 955 or 965 which will.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

What PSU do you have in each system??

How big is the case in the second system??

[Smudger]

It's a 520w Corsair HX in PC1, PC2 has the PSU that came with the case. Which looks pretty lame...

The case is an Asus ts-8b1, mini tower thing.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The E8400 has higher single threaded performance so this will show in some games like Crysis and StarCraft II. However,the computer with the Athlon II X4 has more upgrade potential IMHO.

You should still be able to get a reasonable price for your E8400:

http://completed.shop.ebay.co.uk/i.h...c0.m283&_rdc=1

I would also sell the motherboard and DDR2 RAM from the first case and transfer the parts from the second PC into the first one. Then I would sell the SFF case.

[Blackmage]

The E8400 has higher single threaded performance so this will show in some games like Crysis and StarCraft II. However,the computer with the Athlon II X4 has more upgrade potential IMHO.

You should still be able to get a reasonable price for your E8400:

http://completed.shop.ebay.co.uk/i.h...c0.m283&_rdc=1

I would also sell the motherboard and DDR2 RAM from the first case and transfer the parts from the second PC into the first one. Then I would sell the SFF case.

Yep, I agree with this also. Just make sure you get a decent power supply into the new machine!