Is it wrong to remove RAM from it's first slot on the mobo?

Reason when I am asking is because the new heatsink I have is massive (it's a TT Volcano 5) and I had to remove my first RAM DIMM so I could fit it in the case. I'm a tad curious also because, no matter what I do, I keep running into out of memory errors, I have 320MB of memory and am running out of space with only a small handfull of TSRs and around four external programs running...I sit at only about 29-34% reasources free (though that will drop to less then 10% pretty quick) it's as if I have like 32MB of memory, and not 320MB....
Any insight would be greatly appreciated

I would reseat your ram. it sounds like its not all being used, but its all being detected.

heres the best i can come up with, if when the ram is in the first slot and you do not have problems that you have now then you know your MB does not like the swap, allot of MB's will let you get away with this, ive heard that its best to get your memory as far as you can from the CPU [excuse me i forgot why some sort of electronic wave hindering proccesing in memory] but your MB must let you get away with this and it sounds like yours wont. So here is my solution get a grinding wheel and grind off just the rite amount of cooling fins so that it will fit with your memory in the first slot, sounds drastic but it will take 2 minutes to grind and you will not have even gained 1C in temps i would be supprised if you gaineed anything as the outer fins cool less then the center ones. Again remember you can make a slot in the HS the same size as the memory you can leave the top part of the fins intack just notch out enough room so that both fit. The less you take off the HS the better.

I also have heard that you will get better results by having your memory further away from the CPU. I started to benchmark this theory, but soon got drunk...