HWYCI?: swapping RAM and HD to solve growing pains

[digityzed]

How would you configure it?: I'm having growing pains between my desktop, laptop, virtual server and HTPC where my desktop is running out of space, my laptop would benefit from SSD, my virtual server (VMware ESXi) can't run more than 2 to 3 VMs simultaneously and the HTPC was actually overbuilt. So how would you move around the following hard drives and memory among these computers and if necessary, on a very small budget, which parts should I consider buying?:

Desktop - main workstation, space is low - 500 GB hard drive, 8 GB memory (at max)
Laptop - crappy 5400 rpm hard drive, prefer SSD - 500 GB rpm 2.5" hard drive
Virtual Server - can only run limited number of VMs, space is low - 120 GB hard drive, 4 GB memory (max is 8 GB)
HTPC - over built, it really only streams video from NAS, will be replaced by Boxee Box in the near future - 4 GB memory, 500 GB hard drive
Extras/Spares - 500 GB hard drive, 80 GB hard drive

One obvious move is taking 2 GB from the HTPC and putting it into the virtual server, but after that move I can't think of the next one.


Thanks in advance


P.S. - Yes they're all SATA drives and yes they all use the same type and speed of memory.

 

[Chainzsaw]

The VM server could definately benefit from more RAM. So thats a first good choice.

I would say replace the VM server with a 500GB HDD, buy an SSD for the laptop, put the extra 120GB from the VM server to your Desktop.

So in short:

Desktop 500GB + 120GB HDD from VM server

Laptop - SSD (if thats your plan)

Virtual server 500GB (your spare) + 2GB from HTPC

As for the 80GB HDD, its so small these days, maybe add it to your desktop for a total space of 700GB (roughly, in actuality more like 650GB).

Although doing all that might be a lot of work on your side!

Edit:

Another thing you could do is this: Take out the 4GB from your desktop, put it in your VM server, take out the 2GB from the HTPC and put it in your desktop.

So your desktop will have 6GB RAM, the VM server will have 8GB, and your HTPC will have 2GB since it does the least amount of work.

 

[Raiddinn]

Switch the Server and HTPC hard drives.

2GB RAM from the HTPC to the Server too.

You could put the extra 500 GB in the desktop.

The thing that is throwing me off is why you want to have an SSD in the laptop. You can do it, but it seems a little overkill on a low budget.