2nd Build...?

[Reyvaughn]

Alright, I have read through the posts on SLi and dual core vs. single core. I still have questions.

First, the SLi. No, I don't need it now - I am not a serious gamer. Being a stay at home mom, I have a lot of time on my hands, and maybe someday I would like to get into some serious gaming. But, really, what exactlly is the purpose of the SLi? I know what it does, but why would 2 monitors/video cards be needed? That is what I don't quite understand.

The dual/single CPU... As some of you may have seen, I have an Intel now. I don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon, but maybe if I really like my new build, we may sell it. That one will be kept for media usage and be my husband's computer so he leaves mine alone (I am very greedy with my computer). As for me, I do a lot of multi tasking. On a normal basis I have PSP 8 and/or PS-CS, AIM, music playing and whatever I am doing online going at the same time; which is usually multiple things at once. Is that enough to get a dual core CPU or will a single still be okay?

Here's what I have picked so far:
Case: Sunbeam Transformer
Motherboard: Asus A8N-E 939 Socket
CPU: AMD Athalon 64 3700+ San Diego
RAM: Corsair Value Select 2GB (2 x 1GB)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE 80GB 7200PRM (may change, may want 16MB Cache)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon X1600PRO 512MB GDDD2 PCI-E x16
DVD-ROM and CD Burner are both Lite-Ons. I don't want a DVD burner; to discourage my husband's usage!

I will be getting a floppy, round cables and a 600w Ultra PSU. I also have new speakers picked out (Philips). I want a new illuminated keyboard, but good, black w/ green lights are not easy to find (Sunbeam has, but the ratings on it are horrible). So, I may have to do some modification to a keyboard. I haven't decided on the fans for the case. On a few other sites, the case is cheaper and comes with all green LED fans, so I don't know how the one from Newegg will come (looks like green and blue LED fans). If they come like the pic shows, I will need to get new fans (all green, or red and green). Haha, I want to make sure I am all color cordinated. Sad, isn't it?

[doctorgonzo]

SLI works by harnessing the power of two video cards simultaneously to drive one monitor. There are various ways that SLI can work, such as one video card rendering the top half of the screen while the other card renders the bottom half, for example. It's multiprocessing for video cards.

Dual cores are better for multitasking, and it sounds like you do that a lot.

[glc]

You can't SLI ATI cards anyway, so don't worry about it.

Be wary of Ultra power supplies. Antec is a much safer bet and 600 watts is overkill.