Hey guys,
I want my computer to run with 2 NVIDIA graphic cards and 4 gigs of ram. And I have a few questions for you.

My current system spec is :
AMD Athlon x2 6000+
2 gigs of 667MHz DDR2
nVIDIA Geforce 8500 GT

Here are my questions :
1. Is there a huge difference between 667MHz DDR2 and 800MHz DDR2?
2. Can I run 2 times 1 gig of 667MHz DDR2 and 2 times 1 gig of 800MHz DDR2?
-> If I do so, will the 800MHz DDR2 be slowed down to 667MHz DDR2?
3. Is 2 times 2 gigs better than 4 times 4 gigs?
4. Is it me or the only difference between MSI K9N4 and Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition NVIDIA Socket AM2 ATX Motherboard is 130$?

Thanks for you answers!

endorphine

PS : Here are the direct URLs to what I'm considering to buy
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2896645&sku=M452-2840
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2882686&body=REBATES (2 times)

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2224204&CatId=2050 (the asus card I am talking about)1. There is a difference, however whether it is noticeable is debatable. it is clear in benchmarks, but in normal use it is doubtful you'll see much of a difference.
2. Yes, and yes.
3. I would prefer 2x2Gb, because it leaves more room for expansion later on. It should also be slightly faster, but again not noticeably.
4. Looks to me like they're pretty similar, however the Asus has built-in wireless networking.

My advice would be to buy a better video card instead of running SLI with two 8500GT's - the next card up, the 8600GT, is only slightly worse than two 8500GT cards.Well, my 8500 GT sucks, my goal was to wait until the 9 serie is out and buy a 8800 and run it SLI with my 8500, then when the 10 serie comes out i'll buy a 9800 etc... I will be 1 year behind everyone but I EXPECT the SLI to be very good. I THINK I can save some money by being 1 year behind the new card and still have some bloody good FPS. What do you think about this build?SLI requires two of the same card . . . so an 8500 and 8800 won't work.
You can save some serious CASH by waiting for a new series and then buying a good card from the older one, right now many people buy the older X1950 series at a good price, with better performance than the 8600GT for less.
Your build isn't too bad, but I'd prefer an Intel CPU myself - more overclocking headroom, and better performance.
However, a CPU and mobo swap can be pretty expensive, so there's not much point doing that before your video card, as that's the limiting factor in your system.Alright, thanks for you answers, I guess I will wait a bit and buy a 8800 and 2 times 2 gigs of ram. For the CPU, I just bought it, and I don't really feel like upgrading it right now, as you just said there is no point upgrading it before my poor graphic card.

Thanks for your advice again!Quote from: endorphine on January 04, 2008, 01:25:45 PM

Alright, thanks for you answers, I guess I will wait a bit and buy a 8800 and 2 times 2 gigs of ram.

Quote from: endorphine on January 04, 2008, 01:25:45 PM

Alright, thanks for you answers, I guess I will wait a bit and buy a 8800 and 2 times 2 gigs of ram.

Just FYI... in order to get full use out of 4 gb of ram you will need to run 64 bit XP or Vista. Any 32 bit Windows OS will only be able to utilize roughly 3 gb of ram.
http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.aspx?qid=4251

Wow, this forum is awsome.. fast answer and people are great!

You seem limited to 2 MBoard selections here...

Have a Read...

Your PCI-E slot runs at half speed, which may limit high end video cards.
But in most cases you shouldn't see a major difference, there's nothing you can do about it anyway now.
If the motherboard specification says that the board can only use 2Gb of RAM under a 32 bit OS, then I'd be inclined to believe it.
But, do you really need more than 2Gb of RAM?
If so, you'll need a 64 bit OS.