Cannot install Win7 on W520 with new mobo and SSD

[helicopter]

This is four (4!) years later.

I bought another W520 (still using it) and the problems went away.

I think the replacement motherboard I had bought was bad. That's all.

I'm using the same SSD and RAM as the old one.

Thanks to everyone who provide analysis and insights. It taught me how to use Linux (a little), which is valuable.