IDE freezes Motherboard!!

[Dopasauras]

My previous N-Force 2 Mobo fried ( or I assum it did) so I bought a new Epox 8RDA3+ Pro. The motherboard will boot fine without an IDE drive connected. As soon as I connect a CD-ROM or Harddrive to the onboard IDE, it will freeze during the Detecting IDE Devices on the BIOS screen. I returned this motherboard and received a replacement today, it does the same thing. The only way I can get it past this point is to underclock my processor to 1300 Mhz (usually runs at 2.16 Athlon 3000+). Even after this point Windows never completely boots, instead the computer restarts and I cannot boot from a CD either. Did I get two bad MOBOs in a row? Could it be my processor, it was running 70 degrees before my old MOBO died, after I underclocked the computer would never even POST, no beep at all. Now it seems to run fine, runs at 41 degrees.

 

[bmxfreakrider]

its very possible the the processor died, or the ram. you didnt get 2 bad mobo's in a row. and since you underclocked the processor, and it worked, then most likely the processor is dead. closest i can get

 

[Dopasauras]

Very strange resolution... I borrowed a processor from my friend, the computer works. I then try my processor again, computer works. I finally assemble it all in the case, doesnt work. I unplug one of the slave CD-ROM, it works?? Either way, its running now and Im not messing with it.