Problem in the ddr2 world is that micron has such a strong leg up over the other companies. I'm not sure exactly what IC's the geils use, but I've used a few non micron ic's that just hit an absolute wall in the mid 400's despite voltage or slacking timings.

So you're talking about ballistix. Here's the problem. Depending on which gskill you go for, it'll be 1. more expensive, and 2. have the same problem as the ballistix if they are d9gmh/gkx. I've gone through a bunch of d9gmh myself, only once or twice exceeding the "recommended" voltage. Despite good cooling and whatnot, it's still very likely for these chips to die early. You kind of just have to live with that.

That said, there are reports of newer ballistix (at least the higher speed ballistix) using high density chips that don't overclock well at all and indeed can likely blow up within a week.

I'm not necessarily agreeing with your hatred for ballistix (I just popped in 2 ballistix a few days ago and am absolutely in love). But I do understand where you're coming from. And if you do decide on some d9's, you may be in for some upset down the road.