OCZ Reaper 1066 and Vendetta 2 combination

I have seen this combination in a few sigs and am wondering how people deal with the clearance issue. I can think of 4 possible ways:

1. If using only 1 or 2 sticks of Ram, use the slots farthest from the processor.
2. Remove the heatsink from atleast 1 stick of Ram.
3. Mount Vendetta 2 offset 1/4 inch or so, leaving part of the processor without making contact to the Vendetta 2.
4. Grab a saw and cut the heatpipes off the reapers (unsure if they can be removed in a non destructive manner).

Since I have heard it is best to use the slots closest to the processor, none of these solutions are ideal. I would like to avoid 3 and 4 most and am currently using 1. I just thought I should ask which is more important, Ram temperature or proximity to the processor?

not sure about any suggestions as to how to deal with clearance issue but I would state that on my gigabyte board (see sig) I tested my patriot viper 1066's in both slots and the closer slots gave about 2gb more bandwidth than furtherest....so my best guess is if you already have the memory just do a test like everest or sandra and compare results to see if it really makes a difference on your board.

I have the same problem with my TRUE and Corsair XMS. I decided to mount them in the far slots. None of the other options seemed particularly viable ...

My corsair dominator 1066 had I think the same problem you have, where your CPU HSF is blocking the first 2 slots. I wanted to run 8gb though!

I just sold that ram and bought some gskill that doesn't have giant heatsinks, it fits fine now. =)

But hey attacking them with a hacksaw works for me too

Thanks for the replies guys. I researched the combination before I bought the HSF and found a few forum posts from users with the same hardware. Unfortunately, I didn't find any mention of the clearance being a problem.
I guess I'll remove the heatsink and see if that makes it possible to remove the heatpipes(without sawing). I have a funny feeling that the saw option would void the warranty.