Yes, turns out my RAM is duff (yet again... seem to have bad luck with the stuff). That would probably account for all my issues related to the board. I actually created a thread earlier regarding it (
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17637678 ) - repeated testing using memtest86+ turned up nothing, which is downright weird considering I had left it running for 6-7 hours a day when I was trying to diagnose the fault using my other motherboard. Used a windows memory testing app today, and it finds my problem in seconds. Jeez. This of course was a slight issue for me when using the new board, as I couldn't actually install windows, therefore it wasn't an option (RAM was tested in windows on my other motherboard).
So... probably a perfectly good board. However, because I couldn't get it running at the time, I ended up moving all the components back to my old motherboard (the one I assumed to be 'faulty', yet this recent revelation regarding RAM proved that theory wrong). So I don't know if i'll even bother using this new motherboard now, hehe. Basically, don't let my experience discourage you.