Fresh Start with a GA-EP35-DS3P?

[K3G]

It's been a while since I have wandered these halls but I am back and more confused than ever.

 

heres my current setup:

 

CPU: Intel Q9450

mobo: Gigabyte Ep35-DS3P rev:2.1

GFX: Gigabyte 8800GT 512MB (upgrading to HIS Radeon 4870 1GB)

RAM: 4GB 1066mhz (2X2GB)

HDD: 640GB Western Digital Caviar SATA drive

DVD Drive: Asus something or other

 

I am currently using a Boot-132 USB Drive to do all the hackifying (not sure of which syslinux version i am running though)

At the moment, Sleep only works if I take out one 2GB stick of RAM. (which is very annoying)

 

I have used many methods over the years and I am quite certain that i have all kinds of garbage slowing things down.

 

I am looking for a clean start and instructions for the easiest/best method. I like the idea of using a USB drive to do the chainloading, but if it's easier with another method I am open to suggestions.

 

 

I have no doubt there is a guide buried somewhere in these forums, but i am not sure which method is the most clean (vanilla) out of the lot.

 

I am just about to buy two brand new 808GB Western Digital drives so this really is a complete fresh start.

 

Also i would really like a stripped RAID array as my main boot drive, but this isn't absolutely essential.

 

Thanks in advance guys.