k7-smp kernel help

[Kenny]

OK, I have been at this for about 6 hours now.

I have an AMD X2 4400+ dual core processor. I have been trying to use 
the k7-smp kernel so that I can actually use both of my cores. I went 
into synaptic package manager, and of course it automatically chooses 
all of the latest pieces needed, including the appropriate restricted 
modules (I have 2 7800GTX's in SLI mode, so I need the Nvidia drivers).

It all downloads and installs fine (the kernel that it defaults to 
download is 2.6.15.25-k7). But after about 2-5 minutes of use after I 
boot into this kernel and log in, my entire computer locks up. Mouse 
doesn't move, keyboard shortcuts don't respond. I have to manually 
reboot with the power button. Reminds me of the days of Windows 3.1.

So I thought that I would step it back and get the previous kernel 
(2.6.15-23-k7). But when I try to download it, synaptic wants to 
automatically put all of the latest software with it that depend on the 
newer kernel. I couldn't get it to cooperate, so I figured, what the 
hell, I'll try it.

I reboot, choose the older kernel, and after the Ubuntu loading screen, 
I get the X failure screen telling me that it couldn't start X. I 
figured that this was because the restricted modules wanted to work with 
the newer kernel and not this one.

So I reboot again, this time to the newer k7 kernel (2.6.15-25-k7) only 
to find that after the Ubuntu loading screen, nothing gets sent to my 
monitor. My LCD power light goes orange dictating that it is no longer 
recieving a signal from my video cards.

The only way I can work in Ubuntu is to use the latest 386 kernel, and 
that sucks because I'm running on only half of my physical cpu hardware.

Is there a better way to do this? I've tried the sudo apt-get, but it 
does the same exact thing as synaptic, getting all of the latest stuff, 
not letting me have anything older.

Suggestions?

Kenny