So, everything for my new computer finally arrived today. I just finished assembling it. It looks great. I plugged everything in, hit the power button and all I get is:
 
Award BootBlock BIOS v1.0
Copyright (c) 2000, Award Software, Inc.
 
Scanning BIOS Image In Hard Drive ...
 
This stays on the screen for only a few moments, then the entire thing turns off for a second, and then comes back on and does the same thing again.
 
What am I doing wrong? Periodically, if I let it run, it occasionally seems to last a little longer, but it ultimately shuts off and starts over again. This is really a bummer. Any ideas?

is it a new hard drive?
did you set up the boot order in bios? or you can not even access bios.

I couldn't even access BIOS... but update:
 
Now I can get into BIOS. I had 8GB of memory installed (4 x 2GB). I pulled out two of them, and it seems to work. I wonder if that means I can't have 8GB. It's a Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4, which should support it. Or maybe it's a setting I have to change in BIOS first. Or maybe I got some bad RAM somewhere...

jmichaelstone what is your spec on part in pc.also if you can get into bios now,may want to check the ram voltage.it may be set wrong for the ram you have in it.are you useing xp,vista.etc

Yeah, Definitely Check The RAM Voltage.  
You likely need to bump from 1.8 to 2.1 or 2.2

Actually, that means the motherboard BIOS is corrupted and is trying to load BIOS files from the floppy and/or hard drive, whichever is available.
 
If you're willing to go fix it yourself, get a BIOS file for your motherboard.
 
Fast solution is, RMA it.