A little help please

[Lexluethar]

Just try another board with the same hardware. I know you probably have a high end board, but just get one that is compatable with your processor and hard drive and test it to see if the MB is the issue. If you don't have an extra check the return policies from a place you can purchase one - so that if it turns out the computer still doesn't work you can return the board w/o loss of money.

 

[Muffinking]

That sounds like a pretty good plan. I just have one more question. My friend just called me and told me it could be a hard drive issue. He told me to unplug it and boot the computer, so I did and it worked. (By worked, I mean I could get into BIOS)

The only issue I have with saying the hard drive is the problem is that when the computer won't boot fully I can't even get into BIOS from the motherboard screen. I was under the impression that even if the hard drive was the problem, I would still be able to get into BIOS no matter what, is that true?

Also, I'm hesitant to say the hard drive fix thing worked because of the nature of the problem. Sometimes the computer will boot up fully and sometimes it won't. It seems to have good streaks where it will be fine for 10 tries, but then just won't boot for the next 10. Here's exactly what happened:
I unplugged the hard drive and turned it on six times and I could get into BIOS every time.
Then, I plugged the hard drive back in and turned it on four times and could still get into BIOS every time.
However, on the fifth through eighth tries with the hard drive plugged in, the computer wouldn't boot and I couldn't get into BIOS from the motherboard screen.

My final questions:
Does not being able to even get into BIOS suggest undoubtedly that it's a mobo issue?
Is there a reason this problem is so irregular?
Would a hard drive issue also be the cause of my other issues (lag in games, insanely increased load times on everything)?
Is it possible I have a bad motherboard and bad hard drive?

Thanks a ton for all the help so far! I'm getting close...I can feel it!

 

[Muffinking]

Update

DFI emailed me again, this time finally saying that the debugging code "75" (the one I get when the computer won't boot up past the motherboard screen) means there is a problem with the boot up device. They claim the motherboard is in working order and are telling me the root of the problem lies elsewhere. I've searched the web and have found a couple people who had similar problems. One said he replaced the SATA cable and it fixed everything.

The lagging issue in video games seems very bizarre to me. For example, when I load my most recent saved games for Crysis, the game lags horribly. But when I load very old saved games, the game runs fine. Does this point towards an issue with the hard drive? Oh, and it's also worth noting that at one point, the hard drive made a rythmic, faint clicking noise. It really seems that the hard drive or SATA cables are the issue.

 

[Dauntae]

I got a "made a rythmic, faint clicking noise" on a brand new HD right before I got the windows blue screen of death.... My guess is it's the HD. I couldn't install windows because of it so i stuck a old 80 gig I had lying around in and everything went great. Unfortunately I told the customer I have to RMA his drive and he took the system with the 80 gig. Now I have to reinstall everything on the new drive now that it's here. But when you said "made a rythmic, faint clicking noise" I said that's exactly what the bad one did right when it died.

Dauntae