So I install the DFI at noon like I planned. I get everything hooked up, and I power on. The system hangs on the DFI lanparty logo screen. Great. I took the system apart again, made sure everything was seated properly, and tried again. Hangs. I took the computer apart once more, and took off everything that was not vital:
My two hard drives, my two burners, and my floppy. So now it's just the video card and the motherboard. I power up, and the system hangs on the logo screen. That's just fvcking fantastic! I've waited over a week to get this stupid motherboard installed, and the damn thing appears to be DOA! Not only that, but it took me an hour to do the motherboard install! While AT and other review sites may praise the layout of the board, it wrecked havoc for my small case. I had to reinstall my hard drives into different locations so that my video card could fit without bumping into the IDE cables, which btw, made a horrible mess all clumped together on the right edge of the board. I was also having an extraordinaly difficult time routing my primary IDE cable to my HDs, because it was to the left of my video card, so I had to find a way to snake it over that so I could plug both ends into my drives. Plus, the ATX cable had no room in there between all the freaking IDE cables. I am so freaking pissed. My only option is to waste MORE time to fiddle with the board again, and then RMA it, causing another week and a half's worth of delays.
I'd ship it back to Newegg, but they don't accept motherboard RMAs anymore.
I don't know how slow/fast DFI will be about this.