Filling all memory slots on Gigabyte 965P-DS3

[ScottLovesDogs]

I have seen mention that if one fills all four available slots in a motherboard based on the Intel 965P chipset, the board becomes unstable or something when trying to overclock. I already know that winXP won't be able to find/use all of 4 GB, that is not the point. Limitations imposed by filling all four available memory slots are. Does anyone know the details or know where I can get info on the subject?

What I would like to do is to replace my 2 Gigs of DDR2 667 memory with 4 Gigs of DDR2 800 and bump up the base clock from 334 MHz, where I currently have it set, to 400 MHz. That would give me an E6600 running at 3.6 GHz, if it can make it that high.

[Apoptosis]

it should be stable at stock settings, but once you overclock it varies per board and processor honestly. No one can answer that as every chipset is different and with the memory controller being in the chipset... well you get the point.

[ScottLovesDogs]

Upon further research I have found that, by implication, the GA-965P-DS3 supports 2 GB in each slot. Gigabyte says it can support up to 8GB in its 4 slots. So, one possibility is to go with a kit of 2 X 2GB and only use two memory slots. Still would be interested in how filling all the slots can affect OC ability or whatever.

[kenc51]

Still would be interested in how filling all the slots can affect OC ability or whatever.

Filling all slots increases stress on the chipset (memory controller). this is because it has to manage more memory "banks" / chips.
The problem can also be with the motherboard layout and components as having more sticks of ram means there's more data moving about. If you look closely at the memory slots you can see "traces" (lines) on the board going to the chipset. IF these are not aligned perfectly, the data moving across them can get corrupted, especially when running the ram @ high speed.

[ScottLovesDogs]

If you look closely at the memory slots you can see "traces" (lines) on the board going to
the chipset. IF these are not aligned perfectly, the data moving across
them can get corrupted, especially when running the ram @ high speed.

Thus, what you are saying is that problems can arise with inductive or capacitive coupling between the data bus (and possibly address bus) circuit traces if all banks are populated and the motherboard is being run at memory/clock speeds above what it was designed for?

So my best bet would be to buy one of the sets of 2 X 2GB sticks, not 4 X 1GB, that are known to run on this motherboard, and that should (we hope) allow me to get away with higher speeds than if I filled all four slots. Right?