Choosing Memory

[chowpappy]

This upgrade research has been fun up until now. I saved memory for last because I kept hearing how cheap it was at the moment. A quick glance at Sharky's weekly memory prices with figures like $17, $39 put it in my head that memory wouldn't have to be something that I would have to stress out on weighing value/performance.
Now that I've spent the evening researching I'm feeling a little queezy. Seems if I don't want a bunch of compatibility issues and performance limitations I'm looking at having to drop 120 bucks or more on "premo, handpolished superbrand!" that still seems to be giving everybody troubles (unless you drop 40 bucks more and get the one with LL or whatever behind its label).
Seems a few weeks ago everyone was singing the praises of Kingston HyperX and now its in the doghouse and Corsair is the only way to go.
I broke down and ordered an Abit NF7-S motherboard and an Athlon 2100+Tbred(b) plus all the other nicnacs to go along. Antec case with 350Wpsu, etc. I've still got a lump in my throat from stressing on those decisions, wondering if I did the right thing and this memory headache is really making life a pain. Its not like the video card that I can blow off for a couple of months until the bills settle down and more homework can be done. I'll need a stick of memory right away to make it all happen once the other parts get here.
Any sound advice on a sane memory decision? Anybody ever dealt with these guys?.. and if you were going to, which of their selection looks like the best bang for the buck considering my motherboard and processor? >
http://www.hardcorecooling.us/subcat...1=201&2=-1&6=1

I'm not into extreme overclocking, but would like to bump things up to good stable levels and still have some headroom if I ever run into an application or game that needed a boost.
Much oblidged for any insight!

[kpxgq]

ive had no problems with my kingston hyperx pc3500... the pc3000 is the best bang for buck though

[chowpappy]

Kingston was one of my first considerations, but since then I've read several posts that you don't want to use hyperx with an Abit NF7-S. Nothing concrete but enough obscure one-line posts to steer me away from it until I know more.

[bimmer01]

Just bought the Corsair XMS 512. Gonna test it this weekend.
I'll post more about it.

[OS-Wiz]

At the site you provided, two, 256mb sticks of the Samsung PC3500 for less than $100 seems like a good deal to me.