Symptoms

While attempting to install Windows 7 (64 bit) on my new PC build, it freezes usually at the point where it is expanding the windows image, but has frozen as early as accepting the licence agreement, and as late as just after the first restart.

My specs are at the bottom of the post.

So far I have tried the following to identify the problem, in rough chronological order:

• Tried different hard drives with different sata cables. Same symptoms. I later used a different computer to install windows on the same hard drive with no problems.
• Tried the RAM in different slots, and tried one RAM stick instead of two. Same symptoms.
• Updated the BIOS to 1.60. Same symptoms.
• Ran Memtest86+ with RAM in dual channel. It passed about 6 times when I left it running overnight.
• Used USB to install windows instead of an optical drive. Same symptoms.
• Change SATA configuration from AHCI to IDE. Same symptoms.
• Tried various different SATA ports. Same symptoms.
• Updated BIOS to 1.70. Same symptoms.
• I saw the RAM did not list my motherboard as being supported even though the motherboard did list the RAM as being supported. So I tried some Kingston DDR3 1333MHz RAM instead. Same symptoms.

Other (possibly) pertinent information

My CPU idles at about 30 °C. I can't tell what it gets to when it's working. When I installed the CPU, the lever which locks the CPU in place took quite a bit of force to pull down. Now I didn't just yank it down without rechecking the CPU was seated properly about 5 times, but it does seems unusual, and I wonder if the CPU was seated badly if I would see these symptoms?

I am out of ideas and don't know how to diagnose any further. I suppose either the motherboard or CPU must be the problem. I am on the verge of taking it to a specialist.

The Question

How should I proceed from here? Is there anything I can rule out as being the source of the symptoms I am seeing?

My Specs

• CPU: Intel i5 3570k
• RAM: G.Skill RipjawsX 8GB kit
• HDD: single 3.5" 500GB SATA or 160GB 2.5" SATA (at different times and sometime together. But no RAID or anything).
• MB: ASRock Extreme4 Z77
• PSU: Silverstone Strider Plus 600W ST60F-P