I've been trying Linux every few years and recently decided to install it alongside Windows so I could transition gradually. I installed Windows first in Legacy mode, then installed Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon from a UEFI USB. That apparently left the two systems using different boot modes, and Windows stopped booting until I repaired it with a Windows installation USB.
After getting Mint running, I also had several hardware problems. Firefox and YouTube playback were very laggy, HDMI audio to my television repeatedly cut out every couple of seconds, and experimenting with PipeWire and PulseAudio made me worry that I had damaged the installation. My PC has an Intel i5-11400F, 32 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 3060. I regularly connect the computer to different displays, including an older Panasonic TV over HDMI, so reliable display and audio support is essential.
I'm back in Windows now, but I still want to try Linux again. I understand that I should use UEFI consistently and be more careful with partitioning and bootloader setup. I'm considering Zorin, Fedora, Bazzite, or another beginner-friendly distribution. Which would be most likely to work well with Nvidia graphics, HDMI audio, multiple displays, and a Windows dual-boot setup? Should I test distributions from live USBs first, or use separate physical drives?
5 Answers
Your laggy video and unreliable HDMI audio sound more like Nvidia and multi-display driver issues than a fundamental Mint problem. Install the recommended proprietary Nvidia driver using the distribution’s driver tool, then test hardware acceleration and Firefox video playback. HDMI audio is handled through the GPU, so a graphics driver problem can affect both picture and sound. Some older TVs and unusual refresh-rate or scaling combinations are also troublesome under Linux.
For a gradual transition, a separate SSD for Linux is the least stressful setup. Keep Windows intact on its own drive and select the desired disk from the UEFI boot menu. You can also try Linux in a virtual machine while learning, but that won’t accurately test HDMI output or Nvidia performance. Zorin may feel familiar, but it uses much of the same underlying hardware and driver stack as other Ubuntu-based systems, so it isn’t guaranteed to fix these issues. Fedora or Bazzite may provide a better out-of-the-box experience, especially if you follow their dual-boot documentation carefully.
Mint is beginner-friendly for ordinary desktop use, but that doesn’t mean every hardware combination will be effortless. Your Nvidia GPU, HDMI television, changing displays, and mixed boot modes are all variables that need to be checked separately. Use UEFI everywhere, confirm the disk layout before installing, avoid randomly replacing audio subsystems, and keep a Windows recovery USB ready. Linux can be a good fit for web development and similar work, but it’s worth validating your exact hardware before committing.
The first problem was almost certainly the mixed Legacy/UEFI installation modes. Boot both installers in UEFI mode and make sure Windows is already using GPT/UEFI. Before reinstalling, back up Windows and verify which disk contains its EFI system partition. If possible, install Linux on a separate physical drive. The safest approach is to temporarily disconnect the Windows drive while installing Linux, then choose the operating system from the firmware boot menu. That prevents either installer from placing boot files on the other drive.
Separate drives aren’t strictly required, but they do make recovery much easier. Also, don’t delete the existing Windows EFI or recovery partitions unless you know exactly what they are.
Don’t choose solely based on the distro name. Create a multiboot USB with several live images and test Fedora, Zorin, Ubuntu, Bazzite, or another option without touching your disks. A live session will reveal whether the GPU driver, HDMI audio, scaling, and multiple monitors work on your hardware. If none of them work properly there, changing distros probably won’t solve the underlying hardware or driver limitation.
With an Nvidia card, no distribution can guarantee perfect HDMI behavior. Try the live environment first with the TV connected, and test video, audio, refresh rates, and display switching before installing anything.