So obviously, you had to format before doing anything else. Did you install your SATA software when XP asked for it?
 
It's got to be hardware related, and a driver issue. Have you tried booting into the BIOS and sitting there for any length of time? Your CPU will get hot just sitting in the BIOS, so if it's heat related, you'll know soon enough. Generally, sitting in the BIOS for 5 minutes gets the CPU a good 10 to 15 degrees hotter(on an Intel, probably more on an AMD) than idling in Windoze does.
 
First off, your system can post, which is a good thing.
 
If your system doesn't die on you when you're sitting in the BIOS, it's probably a driver, so try starting in safe mode. If it still dies, try starting in safe mode, with step by step confirmation, so you know what's killing you.
 
Once you figure out what's killing the boot, unplug it, and go from there. Could be a very simple driver issue, or it could just be something that was DOA.
 
Try safe mode, I would bet on a driver issue.

Sorry I didn't specify. It dies while it is booting up. I have yet to even get to a place where it is on long enough to even think about installing an OS. It is during the boot stage that it dies.

Your manual says on page 52:
 
Do not forget to connect the ATX 4-Pin +12V power plug, otherwise, the system will not boot.
 
It goes on to say:
 
When using two graphics cards, do not forget to connect the ATX 4-Pin +12V power plug to the EZplug, otherwise, the system will be unstable. See page 6-5 for details.
 
Seems all you have to do is plug in the cards/ATX 4-pin connectors buddy, I hope that's all it is, lemme know what happens.

OK. The EZ Plug was not plugged in. Now it is. Stays up longer (45 seconds or so vice 30) but it still turns itself off. Should I just strip it to the basics and start adding things? Should I first trying removing all but one stick of RAM?

I still think it a driver issue, probably video. Try pulling one of the vidcards, and see what happens. If it boots and stays stable(or doesn't), then try the other one, by itself. If it will run with just one vidcard, but not two, it's most likey an SLI driver issue.
 
Start with that. SLI can't be beat, when it's working right, but there are still bugs to iron out, especially with the newer cards.

ok..will do and post results...

Cool, I'll be around for a while, waitin for results.

Alright. Down to one video card, one stick of RAM, floppy drive and DVD writer and a single hard drive. I have been able to get into the bios a couple of times and change some stuff but it powers down before I can save. I would love to update BIOS to latest one but it won't stay on long enough to do that (and I dont want it to die mid-update). The DVD writer is SATA but it shuts down if that is plugged in or not. I have pretty much narrowed it down to either the PSU or the motherboard or one of these remaining few components but everything is brand new. I know some stuff could be DOA but it starts....but then dies. Should I just pull everything, reinstall physically the bare minimum, and then try to start it again? I have checked all the connections and everything is tight. I have even changed out my SATA cables. Please advise. This is like my 15th sysyem and I have never had this much trouble.

Well, if you boot off a floppy for the BIOS update, then just let it sit there in DOS for a bit, give it ten minutes or so, and if it doesn't die, do the flash.
 
If you're running an Award Bios, and your original download is an exe file, you can recover from a bad flash, not a prob, I've done it many times. Scared the hell out of me the first time, now I don't worry about it, BIOS ROM chips don't have to be RMA'd anymore, we can fix them ourselves.
 
As for starting with just the basics, very good idea, if you don't want to risk the flash. Personally, I'd sit at the DOS prompt, ready to flash, for a good ten minutes, if my system was stable that long, I'd flash the BIOS.
 
Better yet, before you do that, just clear the CMOS, who knows, maybe the BIOS had a brainfart on the first boot?

I have seen your problem on three of these boards and all three were the heatsink was not installed correctly.
 
The CPU overheat sensor was turning the system off and since yours does it even in Bios I bet it is your problem as well.
 
The Asus Post Reporter is what you want to be using right now as it may tell you EXACTLY why board is turning off.
 
Look in the manual on how to use it.
 
I bet it will tell you "CPU temperature too high".
 
 

Safe to assume it is not an overheating problem now that it stays on indefinitely with a new PSU? I was using the new Thermaltake Power Station because I have a ridiculous (well some think so) amount of components. Now stripped down (DVD writer, video card, all three hard drives) and using an Antec NeoPower, it has been running for the last 15 minutes. Pretty much narrows it down to the PSU right?

Damn straight! Try the TT on the barebones, never mind hitting Windoze, just get to the BIOS, and see if the power levels are stable.
 
Time to RMA that TT methinks, I was wrong about drivers, obviously.
 
Seems the TT can't handle all the juice your vidcards are using, when they try to power up, the PSU calfs.
 
Heh, trial and error, figured it out yourself, way to go dude.

I do have a strange problem now though. When I try to flash the bios using a boot floppy it says Disk I/O error, replace disk and hit return. But when I skip the bios update and go to load windows and then do the F6 load of the RAID drivers there isn't a problem. Any ideas?

You have to boot off a boot disk, preferably a Windoze '98 boot disk, scoop one here: http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
 
Get the Windoze 98 SE OEM, works well. Once you boot to the DOS/C:> prompt, swap over to your BIOS flash disk(change the floppies, nothing else to do, just swap them out), then type in "flash.exe",
that'll get you to your flash program.
 
It'll ask you for the file/BIOS to program, it's a "bin" file. If you haven't already written down the name of the "bin" file, when you swap over to the flash floppy, type in: dir then hit enter. It will give you a list of the files on the floppy, one will be flash.exe(or "flash231abc.exe" and the other will be the bin file, something like "as512a123.bin". That's the file you have to type in the name of. Run the flash.exe, then type in the name of the bin file, and there's your new BIOS.
 
Have patience with the BIOS flash, it takes a bit to get going, but it goes fairly quick once it starts.
 
Anymore questions, or if I didn't clarify something enough, lemme know.