SolidlyStated

The cheapest I'm seeing this kit for is $355 USD. Were you able to find it for less?

That is a bizarre solution. Thanks, I wouldn't have thought to try that. I find it interesting how computers can be made to have a certain state by varying just the approach. When you're pushing the boundaries, sometimes you have to go with whatever makes it work. You'd think the designers would know what the maximum would be. As complicated as these things are, it's a wonder they're generally predictable and reliable. I hope mine isn't as touchy.

What do you think made it finally work?

Here's someone who reports getting 16GB DDR2 to work on a P35 three years ago: http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/showthread.php?t=17728 I have a P35C-DS3R DDR2/DDR3 board. For DDR3, the manual says 4GB max, Sisoft SANDRA reports 8GB max. I've got 8GB working in it right now and I too am curious just how much it will accept. You should think about getting away from DDR2 boards. The DDR3 RAM is cheap and getting cheaper.