chiman2-

This is a pretty complicated board, but the auto setting work pretty well. If you are willing to devote some time into studying it, than you will be very happy with it. If you have no overclocking experience, you have a lot to learn. I've been using this board for four months now and I'm still learning.

I don't think it is necessary to remove the heatsinks, but it would be a good idea if you are comfortable with it. Be very, very careful. Be careful of all the tiny traces and soldered on components, they are very fragile. Treat it like it's a bomb that could go off with the slightest bump.

You should be able to hit 4Ghz on the E8500, but it depends on the chip. Some will do higher, some won't hit 4Ghz. I would suggest getting the 8600 if you haven't bought the 8500. Or wait a couple of weeks and make sure you get the E0 stepping. It is guaranteed with the 8600, but they have old stock of the 8500. Find a site that guarantees steppings. It will make a huge difference, maybe up to 500Mhz.

If you haven't bought the video card yet, you should probably get an ATI card since it can be used in crossfire with later upgrade. This is the main reason you should be getting an x48 chipset -extra bandwidth. The 9800GTx will work fine on the board though.

This is an excellent board. It will only be limited by the user's knowledge. If you are willing to learn, the board is willing to go the distance. Start reading the whole thread. There is a lot of vital information in it.