I'm trying to move away from Windows on an HP ENVY Desktop PC TE01-2000i (1K4E9AV) with an Intel Core i7-11700 and NVIDIA RTX 3060. I've tested Linux Mint, Zorin OS, MX Linux, Fedora Workstation, Fedora KDE, and Bazzite, but every distribution has shown serious instability. I've seen pink kernel-panic screens, freezes during reboot, and intermittent failures when booting from a cold start.
I have used Linux successfully on other computers, so this has been unusually frustrating. Secure Boot is enabled, and I installed the appropriate NVIDIA drivers each time. I don't want to disable Secure Boot just to make the system work. I also tested several kernel versions, including 6.8, 6.14, and newer 7.0 builds, with similar results.
Could the RTX 3060's Lite Hash Rate design, which involves firmware, GPU BIOS, and driver checks, be contributing to the problem? HP has also heavily restricted the firmware settings on this machine, removing the advanced BIOS options. The integrated Intel UHD 750 graphics are disabled, but I may be able to enable them for testing.
Does this sound like an NVIDIA compatibility issue, a firmware or hardware problem, or something specific to this HP system? I'd really like to use Linux on this computer instead of Windows, but I'm running out of ideas.
3 Answers
Since HP systems often expose very few firmware controls, you may not be able to change memory timings, CPU power behavior, or graphics settings. That makes isolation testing especially important: use the Intel graphics, test the RAM, try a different power connection if available, and compare behavior with a basic open-source graphics setup before reinstalling several more distributions.
Check the output of sudo dmesg and the previous boot’s journal for clues. Look specifically for NVIDIA errors, GPU resets, kernel oops messages, ACPI errors, PCIe AER errors, or filesystem problems. Capturing logs from a failed boot should help distinguish a graphics-driver crash from a broader hardware or firmware failure.
The first thing I’d test is the graphics card. Enable the integrated Intel UHD 750 if the firmware allows it, or temporarily remove the RTX 3060, then boot Linux using the Intel graphics. If the crashes disappear, that points toward the NVIDIA driver, card firmware, power delivery, or the PCIe connection rather than the kernel in general.
That’s worth trying. The integrated graphics are currently disabled, but I’ll enable them and test whether the system becomes stable without relying on the NVIDIA card.