RideFree, much much appreciate the offer, but I already did the next best thing I could think of. In the pinnacle of my despair I went to a retailer nearby that also does repairs (NOT for free). To my humiliation, the AT2 MAX2 immediately booted up and installed XP. After it was done, we paid close attention the POST and noticed that for some reason the Abit was registering the CPU as a 1500+ when it was supposed to be a 2200+. They then figured it must be an overheating problem, so they slapped on a better heatsink and tried running the CPU as the 2200+ that it is. It crashed. Then they whipped out a 2400+ they had just gotten in today. Wouldn't you know, this little sucker (being the cooler core that Thoroughbred Rev B is) just booted right up. And upon correction in the BIOS (back up from 1500+ to 2400+) the system ran just fine. I bought it right there and then.
Not exactly an overly HAPPY ending, but at least I have one bad ass machine running apparently stable, at least for now. I still have the 2200+ OEM, the Epox 8k5a2+, and just about enough components to piece together ANOTHER system. All I am missing is the RAM (which I'm not willing to get, when I have reason to believe it will be a waste). A las, I don't think I could get the Epox and XP2200+ to work... I am still having the infite problem. At least now, I have a reason to suspect that it's the XP2200+ throughbred Rev A. For some reason, I guess it refuses to run like a good little CPU.
Getting this system to run has cost me a fortune. Leaving a bad taste in my mouth... I wish I could say that there was a lesson to be learned. But There really wasn't. Except that I cab't expect things to work as advertised.
Is it a design flaw in the chip?. BEAR IN MIND, I had TWO XP2200+ one OEM and one RETAIL. Also, if you remember my temperatures where in the high 40's never above the temperatures that Epox recommends.
RideFree, I'm in the NYC area. If you're in the vicinity, and are interested in taking a gander at the remaining 8K5A2+, XP 2200+, and the rest of the stuff; so as to try to get it to work, you're welcomed. (Not if you're going to travel an excess of 15 miles though)
Lastly, I would like to thank the kind people of this forum who continuously gave me suggestions and encouragement to try to get my system up and running. Later, maybe I will be willing to try to get the Epox with the 2200+ to run. (Although I'm still out of ideas, except to get a fancy smancy heatsink and fan). I guess if I end up with 2 good systems, I wouldn't feel as though TOO much money was inexcusably wasted.