Cube Modernization Project - Informations needed...

[Stevie]

Hello list,


most of us love their cubes (at least that's my impression).

But as many threads show, it becomes old and some upgrade is our wish.

I intend that too, but as I see, there are very different opinions on 
the market.
May be, some of you can help me (and us all :-)

To have a real progress on upgrading several components have to be "vitalized"

(1) Processor-upgrade ( G4- 1,4 GHz seems to be most interesting)

(2) New graphic card (ATi 8500 - 9000 or faster?)

(3) Faster and bigger harddisk (up to 128 GB intern)

As you all know, this (1+2+3) together needs (A) a lot of power 
(electric power, Watts)
and produces(B)  a lot of heat.

(B) could be solved by using a Powerlogix enclosure and (noise-poor!) 
cooling Fan

But the main problem IMHO seems to be of electrical nature.
Most of the sellers over here in germany told me, that I had to 
decide between faster graphics or upgrade. Both together would cause 
my cube's death.

My idea:
a) new enclosure with fan > heat problem can be handled, I think

b) electrical question:
what about using the harddisk within a larger enclosure, but not just 
within the original cube?
Then it could be possible to run the harddisk and the DVD-R with an 
exterior power supply (for instance). This would help the DC-Board to 
survive...

PROBLEM:
I don't know specifical power dates about the consumption of
- Processor (what's the plus of the powerlogix oder sonnet 1,4 GHz?)
- Graphic Card (a ATi 8500 or 9000 or other compared with the 
original ATi 128?)
- Harddisk and DVD-R

Is there anyone out there who knows specifical data?
If you are interested, we could collect these in a list.
May be, anybody knows more about electronics than me (very sure :-)

would like to read of you
Stevie


Perhaps you have good reason to laugh about my english: Do it, I'm 
german... :-))