I find that anytime I mess with hardware I have to get new software drivers and if I modify the software or firmware I usually need different hardware.
D, helped my spec out the parts to build new computers from a box of parts.
We have one software package that we use that cost as much as my first house. It makes the orthophotos that are the core of our business. The old Win XP 64 Pro twin CPU system with 8 gigs of RAM made one ortho in 46 minutes. The new box does it in 12 minutes.
And for the few that are curious just what a orthophoto is:
Orthophoto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia