Ok. I know this is a newb question but im not that great when it comes to RAM. If my mobo supports dual channel ram, do i need to buy a special type of ram for dual channel or will 2 sticks of just any normal ram work as long as they are the same size? Thanks in advance for any advice.

No they are not special and I've heard of non-matching brands working in some cases so if you got 'em already then try it but if you haven't bought yet then get two identical sticks. Since dual ddr at 400mhz is a lot to ask of a memory stick most mobo makers are listing recommended brands for memory on their website

Unless the memory you are using is on the manufacturer's list of dual channel qualified memory, there's no guarantee throwing any two identical sticks in there will work. However, there is a good chance (say 75%) that it will function fine.

Having had difficulties with memory in the past I would say stick with matched pairs. If you were to order from the manufacturer direct (say, Crucial) and ordered pairs of identical memory then it might all be from the same batch and might work just fine.

However, the fact that there is a market for matched and tested pairs (such as from OCZ) would suggest to me that the matching is pretty important. If you were to think about overclocking and adjusting to more aggressive memory timings then the matching becomes more important.