about 2 years ago when I got into ham radio, I picked up a TS-430S and a manual MFJ tuner for $325.  It's served me well, but has a pretty loud noise floor.

So I'm looking at rigs with IF DSP.  I'm not deadset for or against a "shack-in-a-box", but I can certainly see the draw of having 2 radios for the same price as a shack-in-a-box.

All of that out of the way, I'm looking at a Yaesu FT450 (which includes an ATU-450) for about $900.

It'll probably be mostly a desktop rig, though I've contemplated mounting an HF rig in my truck and using hamsticks out of one of the stakeholes on the bed.  So at some point, it'll be vehicle mounted.  As small as it is, I may even end up carrying it with me when I travel sometimes.  I'm a pretty casual user.  I fire up the rig when it strikes me as a good thing to do.  I'll check for contests and make contacts with folks sometimes.  I'm not a huge contester.  I like DX, but living in a HOA neighborhood with pretty restrictive CC&R's I stick with a stealth windom, so I know I can't get too much distance without a lot of help on the other end.

My TS-430 puts my noise floor here at about S7.  My budget is about a grand. I'm using crap feedline (it'll get an upgrade with the rig).

I've thought about an IC-7000, but HF-packing is something I'm interested in, but have never tried.  The tuner in the 450 would eliminate a piece of equipment to carry (even if it's a crap tuner) and the power consumption is about the same, but the 7000's display is nice. But is it worth an extra $300 for the IC-7000?

There is a rebate on a FT-950 that brings it down to about the same price as the IC-7000, but I couldn't really operate that mobile or HF-pack.

Given my budget and usage, what do you guys think would be the best choice?  I've read reviews, but am always looking for people with experience with something I'm considering buying.  Or is there a rig I've completely overlooked?  

Thanks in advance.

Edit to add: forgot about the Kenwood TS-480SAT.  Also has a tuner, is about the same price range, and while it's DSP is AF, it gets good reports compared to the FT-450D.

If your local noise level is S7, there's not really going to be much difference in radios at home.  I'd keep using the 430 at home and buy a more mobile and portable friendly radio.  

Truth... spend your money in to getting rid of the noise.

I love my MFJ-1026, even with the telescoping whip it can drop my S9 noise down to an S3.

Kenwood TS-480SAT is a wonderful rig.

Every now and then a used ts-2000 goes up on eham for $900. It has s built in tuner but it (or any) built in tuner can't out perform an external tuner.

Ft950 will dance circles around the rest of the radios you mentioned. Ft450 is a good compromise if you need a smaller sized radio. IF DSP will do much better than AF DSP.  IC7000 will do fine as a mobile radio but it can't compete with a FT950 as a base radio and it's too bulky and energy hungry for portable operation.

Ok, so are you saying that S7 isn't bad? or that it's so much noise that the DSP won't make a dent in it?

And spending money to get rid of noise...  by buying something like the MFJ-1026?  Or are there other things I can do? (I never really found an elmer to ask these questions)
I picked up a bhi "noise away" a few months ago, and it's ok, but not great.  I like the idea of the 1026 and cancelling the noise before it gets into the rig.  

So "more mobile friendly"...  something like the kenwood?  I'd probably get the 100W version with the tuner.  Running it with band-specific hamsticks in the truck it would be "good enough" and at home I have the manual tuner.

With S7 noise, better or worse receiver performance isn't going to matter.  I would do whatever I could to try to deal with that noise first.  Have you tried to run your radio from batteries and shut off utility power?  If your noise goes away then it's something in your house making the noise.  Try to get all you can out of that 430 before you go replacing it, and right now that means dealing with that noise.  

If you get that noise taken care of you may well be happy with the 430 at home.  Then you wouldn't have to find one radio for base/portable/mobile and it would be an easier choice.  

cool....  I'll wait until I have the house to myself, hook up the scooter battery to the rig, kill mains power and see if it's something in the house, or my neighbors.  If it's not in my house (and thus I can't do anything about it) I'll look into the 1026 some more. (edit: read more reviews, chatted with some folks on IRC.  1026 looks worth the $$.  If I can't find the noise source in-house, I'll go that route)

thanks guys

Even if it's outside your house you may have some options.  If it's a power pole you might get the local utility to fix it.  Noisy poles waste power and can get them in trouble with the FCC.  

Don't give up.