It has nothing to do with the type of memory on the video card. It's just that with that mobo, you can only have x8 speed on the 2 pci-express lanes if you do crossfire. You need an X38 or X48 motherboard for full x16 speed on both lanes. And yes i think that crossfiring 2 4850's with a 19" monitor is overkill, but not so for a 22".
If you already did a back up of your important files on that OS and don't need that OS anymore, yes you can format. Btw you should choose the long format option, not the quick one.
Chances are that Intel SpeedStep (EIST) is enabled. Enter your Bios and disable it if it isn't yet. EIST decreases your cpu frequency for lower power consumption.
For the brand, I recommend Visiontek (lifetime warranty) or Asus (3 year warranty), although there's no listing for an Asus 4870 on newegg yet. The dual slot cooler is more effective than the crappy one on the 4850, so you don't need a 3rd party cooler. Just wait for fan control support in Rivatuner (soon i hope) or higher default fan speed in the next drivers that are coming in july.
Also if you go with the HD4850, which is a better choice than the 9800GTX IMO, take the Asus brand: 30$ MIR, 3 year warranty and Asus software for fan control so you don't have to wait for Rivatuner to support it. From the comments I read on newegg, some people were able to have the card run at 45C-50C C at idle and 60 C at load.
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