Help new build freezes

[stomped]

I've just built a new system (ist time) specs are:

AMD Sampron 2800+1.6ghz Socket 754 boxed
Asus K8v-x skt 754 AGP8x SATA usb2 motherboard
Seagate barracyda 80gb 72000rpm HDD OEM hard drive
Sapphire 128mb Radeon 9550 ddr tv out dvi agp
Aries 512mb PC3200 184pin ddr400 memory
also a floppy,
dvd/cd drive and cd writer(from my old pc)

When I started up seemed all ok, and bios came up with everything looking ok and recognising all the drives, vid cards, hhd etc.
When I installed windows xp pro disc it downloaded all the inital drivers etc, then selected 'new install' option. From then nothing happened and just got the blue screen with 'please wait' sign for ages. in the end I removed the disc and had to re power. The screen came up with
'overclocking failed! Pleaase enter Setup to reconfigure your system'. I reloaded the default setup and now when I power up it says
'Serial CHO Master: no Device'
& 'Serial CH1 Master :No Device'

I've since un and re-connected everything, checked CPU for damage, (looks fine) checked master slave settings on cd/dvd drives(ok). Now when rebot doesnt say'CMOS checksum bad'but still 'Serial CHO Master: no Device'

Next tried to run a 'memtest86' diagnostics (from floppy) to see if the memeory is ok and again a few secs into running the program the computer freezes. When I rebeeotd again came up with 'overclocking failed! Pleaase enter Setup to reconfigure your system'.
Re did thermal passte on cpu/heatsink adn put in new battery, still same probs!
Not sure where to go from here.
Is giving me a Headache.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Well if MEMTEST locks up you have a hardware issue of some kind. Try resetting the CMOS, reset BIOS to use safe defaults for now. You might try underclocking the CPU just to see if it'll run stable.

You sure your memory is good? Have you MEMTESTed it in another system?

What power supply are you using? Do you have another one you can swap it out with for testing?

 

[Creston]

You want to be really careful with doing that too many times, it seems like a massive overheating issue.

Check the BIOS and set the failsafe defaults, and make sure that the multiplier isn't set WAY too high for your CPU.

Normally I'd say that MEMTEST failing is a sign of memory failure, but that overclocking failed message would seem to indicate otherwise.

Creston

 

[mariosoft034]

Are you sure the cpu heatsink is properly installed?
Is the cpu fan runing OK?

 

[stomped]

Yes Im sure the CPU is properly installed, adn the fan is running correctly. I'll look into the myltiplier,

 

[superkdogg]

Do you have 4 SATA ports? If so, try using 3 or 4. I'm not gonna take the time to see if your board is one of them, but many boards don't have a bus lock on SATA 1&2 causing crashes with even small overclocks.