The motherboard might have failed the test.
The motherboard might have failed the test.
You've got a tricky setup with your P8Z68 and i5-2500k. Overclocking pushed you to 4.3ghz, but the system started freezing at idle and showing BSODs. The boot issues and flash errors suggest hardware instability. After trying BIOS updates and resets, you're stuck with inconsistent startup behavior and a failing flash drive. It sounds like the motherboard or power delivery might be compromised. You may need to test the CPU cooler or check for loose connections before considering a full rebuild.
It appears your CPU might have become unstable instead of the motherboard. If you can access BIOS, adjust the CPU fan speed to 100% continuously and attempt to flash the BIOS again to confirm proper installation. Otherwise, consider running at (or slightly below) stock speeds with a bit higher voltage to rule out CPU issues.
I put it aside for a while and revisited it last week. I’m having trouble reaching the BIOS at all—it looks damaged. I can access EZ Flash about one in five tries, and I can choose the BIOS I want. It progresses roughly one-fourth of the way before it restarts. I suspect the CPU might be the issue, but I tried another 1155 motherboard I had and it booted into Windows normally.