Need help / suggestions for memory for Asus P5Q Q9450 system. I intend to overclock if needed to improve performance, but not a big gamer. Two setups I'm considering are listed below:


DDR2 800 (4-4-4-15) overclock to 3.2 GHz

DDR2 1000 (5-5-5-15) or DDR2 1066 (5-5-5-18) overclock to 3.6 GHz


Questions:

If overclocking from 2.66 up to 3.2 GHz, I assume the DDR2 800 (4-4-4-15) setup will be faster and would be stable at 3.2 GHz. Yes/No?

If overclocking above 3.2 GHz, will the DDR2 1000 (5-5-5-15) / DDR2 1066 (5-5-5-18) setup be faster than the DDR2 800 (4-4-4-15) at 3.2 GHz? If so, how much more overclocking is needed to get the same performance? Will the difference be noticable for mild gaming use?


Thanks,

For mild gaming use no. Even if you were heavy into overclocking and gaming you'd still only notice ~5% difference from ddr2 800 to ddr 1066. Of course then 5% from here, 5% from there, you could probably snap some more performance if you were to oc everything from cpu/gpu/memory/getting 2x10.000 rpm hdd in raid, but if you're not a heavy duty gamer or heavy overclocker you won't gain so much to make a difference besides maybe in some benchmarks.

Thanks. A couple more questions -

What memory would you suggest for the Asus P5Q deluxe motherboard? Does it have to be listed on the Qualified Vendors List (QVL)? The mushkin 4 GB DDR2 800 (5-4-4-12) 1.8V looks good as far as specs go (fast, low voltage), but it is not on the Asus P5Q deluxe QVL. Would the mushkin work ok on the Asus P5Q deluxe? or should I stick to the QVL?

That exact Mushkin kit works fine on my P5Q-E/q9450 at 400x8 using spectimings. I am running it at 1.9V though.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if I needed to stick to the QVL. I think I will start with 4 GB. Maybe add another 4 GB down the road.