Quote - > Quote - As for overclocking, BIOS-tweaking seems a little scary, as does the very term "overclocking" given that this is my first build.  I do plan to read up on overclocking though, especially since it apparently leads to significant improvement for gaming... and I'm guessing perhaps for firefly rendering too.

Overclocking can be intimidating.  Until I purchased the P5W, I hadn't attempted to overclock any of my previous system.  But armed with research and a BIOS designed with overclocking features, the process was relatively simple and pretty painless.

If you plan to overclock, I'd suggest getting fairly fast RAM.  PC2-6400 800/1066mHz is a good place to start.  The higher frequency ratings gives you much greater 'play' with overclocking settings.

If you get RAM that has a lower maximum rated frequency, it's very likely you'll bottleneck prematurely by exceeding the RAM's highest stable frequency first before reaching the CPU's maximum stable overclocked speed.  Simply put, you'll be putting your CPU on a shorter overclocking leash with lower frequency rated RAM.

Thanks for the input nukem!  After giving it some more thought, I think I'm going to eschew the overclocking approach, at least for now on this first build.  Perhaps when I have more experience, I'll revisit for a future build.  For now, my understanding is that if I avoid overclocking I can use the stock cooler on the E6600 and thereby avoid compromising my warranty.  But tahnks to your advice, I'll know to watch my RAM selections carefully if and when I take the overclocking plunge!  cheers!