Sherlock Holmes used Deductive Reasoning to solve his mysteries. Similar approaches to electronic hardware yield increasing success rates. One place to start may be the CMOS battery. I use a small WiFi-finder that uses a CR2032 & has a low-battery warning. It draws a fair bit of current for that style of battery, so weak cells (they can still measure 3 Volts) are easily eliminated. This is advantageous with even new cells to eliminate 'duds'. Weak CMOS batteries can yield unpredictable results. Do not 'flash' anything with such a backup battery unless it is known to pass such a test. After installing a good battery, short the 'ClearCMOS' jumper for 15 seconds with the P/S unplugged & drained, then remove it.
Leave the drive disconnected for now. Ensure that you are using a known-good Power Supply (inspect for blown caps if unsure - power disconnected & drained - ask if unsure - if it's light as a feather, chuck it!).
Clock everything stock by loading the optimized defaults. Do this immediately after flashing (if you do so - @ your own risk), too. Run a 'memtest' on it until it passes (link in my sig.).
If you have a non-contact IR thermometer (if not, aim to; BIOS rarely tells the whole truth!), 'scan' the board (above & below if possible without blowing yourself up) for hotspots. Take measurements about 1-4 cm from the target if possible. When you find them (usually MOSFETs/chipsets/CPU in order of hottest to coolest) make note of any nearby capacitors (within that 'thermal-zone') & their apparent condition. Mark them for future reference. http://badcaps.net/pages.php?vid=5
Speaking of BIOS, are you using the latest 'Beta'? http://www.gigabyte.com/products/produc … =2669#bios
http://www.gigabyte.com/webpage/20/HowT … hBIOS.html I loathe WinFlashers. I flash in SafeMode-DOS wherever possible using a small HDD in an enclosure. Your results may vary.
(remember to load defaults & pass memtest before proceeding)
OK, now that you've solved any cooling issues (i hate the way stock coolers 'warp' a board over time with no backing plate) & are confidant in the system health, it is time to proceed with the HDD.
I note that the manual states that <Ctrl><F1> enables advanced options within the BIOS. Ensure that SMART is enabled. Stick with Auto for your drives (avoid Non-combined mode - your PATA optical device will disappear as it disables PATA - what a PITA!).
Consider the possibility that your optical device/disc are a source of error. (Dirty discs - done dirt cheap!)
Now power down & get the manufacturer's tools for the drive. Check the manufacturer's site for any speed-limiting jumper settings (shouldn't be necessary). Backup any important data if necessary. Use the manufacturer's tools (<F12> for Boot Menu or change Boot Order in BIOS) to zero the drive & run an advanced test (on another system if necessary).
If this drive still won't install properly (give the machine an extra fifteen minutes if the drive light remains lit during format), try another SATA drive or use GParted from a linux-live disc for confirmation (time to check warranty remaining on drive?).
I hope at least some of this helps, and that none of it hurts! 
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