Well, I got impatient waiting on the new parts and I somewhat got ahead of myself.
I yanked the Plextor M5S 128GB SSD from my laptop and I moved it over to the old computer build, which I'll call "Foxconn" for its case. I took the old 2.5" WD 128 GB HDD from the Foxconn, reformatted it and then reinstalled it as secondary storage. I then installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 on the SSD, and I updated the tar out of it all the way to IE11.
The SSD (C Drive) is in a single partition, as is the HDD (D Drive). Only the OS and programs will be installed on the SSD. Everything else will be saved on the HDD, which is linked to Dropbox.
After I created an image of the upgraded system, I went back and installed everything else I immediately needed (MSE, Dropbox, MS Office Pro 2003 & Firefox). Then I updated the tar out of Office. The upgraded Foxconn, even on the old video card, is now considerably faster than the laptop it replaced.
I'll install the new video card and case fan as soon as they arrive.
When I ran Windows Experience Index, the graphic scores were the only weak points; both posting in the low fives. The processor posted 6.8; everything else was in the sevens. The new fanless Zotac video card should even things out. Matched with the quieter case fan, the noise level will no doubt drop to something much more comfortable. Although it's not that bad, I won't miss the "dry" whirring from the old video card fan.
I will install the new Samsung SSD in the laptop, and it too will get a fresh, fully updated copy of Windows 7. I will keep the rest of it light to prevent overburdening the laptop. The only other programs I can think of installing to it are MSE, Dropbox, MS Office, Quicken, and Firefox. Maybe a few other odds and ends, but those will be the biggest additions.
The new parts are scheduled to arrive Tuesday. I'll come home from work in the wee hours of the night and quickly get busy finishing my little project. I'll poast the results here Wednesday morning at O-Dark 30.