Complex Memory question

Ok here goes, I have a:

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe 570 chipset MB
AMD X2 5200+ Windsor
8gigs of PC2 5400
2 EVGA 8800 640mb vid cards in SLI
Win XP X64
800 Watt PSU

I currently have 8 gigs of PC2-5400 which runs at 667Mhz. (the sales guy insisted I get the 667Mhz instead of the 800Mhz memory, which I still dont understand why) I plan on getting some OCZ memory, either the EPP DDR2 PC2-8500 SLI-Ready Edition Dual Channel

OR the Fatal1ty series...DDR2 PC2-8500 Fatal1ty Edition Dual Channel


Sorry, I would have posted links to the memory, but wasnt allowed to. Ok what I need to know is which is better? My MoBo supports the EPP memory.

With that said, I am going to get the new AMD Phenom2 X4 9950 BE which will work in my mobo with a simple bios upgrade.
I read somewhere that I can run PC2-8500 (1066Mhz) memory in on my mobo, but it wont run at 1066Mhz unless I am using a quad core.(after the new bios which supports the X4)
My MBs manual says it supports up to 800Mhz memory, but it was printed before there was a X4 bios available, which I plan on getting once I recieve my Phenom2 9950 BE
. So which memory is best, the EPP or the Fatality series, and once I have the 9950BE should I get the PC2-8500 memory? Any helpful info would be very much appreciated.

The 570 SLI chipset does not support DDR2 1066, and the QVL list only lists DDR2 800. The 590 SLI chipset above the 570, did not support DDR2 1066 either. The only way to run this type of ram was simply to overclock the system and force the memory to run at the higher speeds, not overly difficult. Updating the bios will not likely add the 1066 support you are thinking of because these chips run just fine on DDR2 800 and 667, so the easier solution is to do that, tweakers can overclock, and those who dont want to do either (accept the slower or overclock) can buy a new board.

But the bigger problem that I see is with your upgrade. Jumping to a 9950 BE is a good step up from where you are now, but its an out dated chip by all means. The cheapest quad core money can buy today, the Athlon II X4 620 at $99 retail, is actually a better chip than the 9950 BE. Performance wise they are close, but given the 95w vs 125w TDP, the fact that the Propus core is based directly on the latest 45nm Deneb core used in the Phenom II X4 series, and the fact that its based the AM3 socket that uses the latest chipsets, DDR3 memory (that is finally affordable), and so on...why even consider anything else...especially a first generation phenom X4 that you will probably pay more for.

The downside here is that the motherboard you are using will not support any of the new chips, and though the 9950 BE is the fastest chip you can put in that board, its by no means the best value you can find. You are in a good position to upgrade given the prices today. Upgrading your memory to some EPP supported DDR2 1066 and a nearly 2 year old processor is only a good idea if you are getting bargain prices, if you are paying more than $100 for the pair then you are not getting a great deal. DDR3 1600 is down to about $90 for a 4gb (2x2gb) kit, great boards based on newer chipsets like the 750i SLI can be had for $100, and then the modern value quad core (like the Athlon II X4 620) are under $100. Granted thats $300 for a new board, chip, and ram vs what ever you are prepared to pay for the new chip and ram.

But to get back on topic, the only way I see the DDR2 1066 kits working with this board is if it is detected as DDR2 800 and you manually adjust the timings and clock speeds to force it to run at its rated speeds. I would seriously consider upgrading the whole pc to take advantage of modern components rather than trying to upgrade a few bits of this one. Given that a modern $200 graphics card will be faster than your SLI 8800 GTS cards, that the cheapest quad core you can buy today will be as good as the best chip your board can support, as well as other factors like supported memory standards...if you have the budget you can really manage to build a very affordable new box and pay for most of it by selling off your old parts. You will wind up with a much better platform and a more upgradable PC for future upgrades - as your current board has reached its limits really.