Crossfire and nvidia cards

[Pitterpatter]

I realize this is a video card question but it's in regards to choosing a motherboard. I am computer literate but I haven't kept up on technology and am pretty out of the loop. I had planned on picking up a 3.0 ghz Duo cpu and am just in the process of picking a motherboard. Preferably one with the option to upgarde to a quad when i have a bit more cash.

Anyway, my dilemna is this, I recently picked up a 8800GT video card and most of the motherboards I've looked at comment on crossfire. I get the idea behind crossfire and SLI but i'm unsure what would happen if i wanted to use my 8800GT on a crossfire specific board. I realize that the first thing is being unable to run SLI which is fine as I'm unlikely to anyway. But can i still effectively use a nvidia card on a crossfire motherboard? Any help is greatly appreciated as i can't seem to find an answer one way or another.

*perhaps i'm better of saying I'm not completely computer illerate.

 

[krnmastersgt]

They work completely fine in Xfire boards, you just won't have the ability to run SLI is all, as for motherboards, any socket 775 should be able to use the cpu you plan on getting and a quad core as well, however if the 3 ghz dual core you're buying is the e8400 wolfdale you'll need to get a board thas has 45nm support or you won't be able to use it.

 

[Pitterpatter]

Ah I thought as much but wasn't 100% clear, as most things i had read seemed to indicate it was fine. Thank you for your reply.

In regards to the cpu, i was looking into a E6850. Which i believe is 65nm and therefore should be fine? Thanks again.

*EDIT* If i did want to keep my SLI options open, what motherboards should I be looking at? This is the first time in many many years i'll have an Intel so i'm pretty clueless. Although i'm actually pretty clueless about computers period as i look further into things lol.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Yeah the E6850 is a 65nm so most current motherboards with socket 775 can support it, as to keeping SLI options open for the future, a board using an nVidia chipset would be a good choice however as a lot of people on this forum will tell you the nVidia chipset can't compete outright with the intel chipsets, for the most future-proof board I can think of I'd say look at X48 chipset boards, or a well established and well reviewed X38 chipset since the difference isn't phenomenal if you aren't using a 45nm cpu. SLI boards with Intel chipsets are starting to become scarce...and I don't know enough about good intel chipset boards to give a really good suggestion, you should take a look at the topics featuring X38 and X48 and see what they recommend as a good board.

 

[Pitterpatter]

Ah ok. This helps alot, I didn't really know where to start and now I do. Thank you very much for your help.