I've been trying to install Linux for about a month, but the installer never gets past the distribution's startup logo. The computer reaches the GRUB USB boot screen, shows the Linux logo, then suddenly reboots and repeats the same cycle. This has happened with both a B550 motherboard and an X570 motherboard. I disabled Secure Boot and Fast Boot, tried multiple flash drives, tested an older BIOS version, and redownloaded the Linux Mint image, but nothing changed. I've also swapped graphics cards. Could the CPU, memory, or another shared component be causing the reboot?
4 Answers
The ASUS X570-Pro and MSI B550 Tomahawk are both commonly used with Linux, so basic motherboard compatibility is unlikely. Check the exact CPU, RAM, GPU, and power supply models, and try booting with the minimum hardware connected. The CPU could technically be faulty, but RAM, graphics initialization, or an unstable BIOS setting are more practical things to test first.
Since the same failure happens on two motherboards, the motherboard is probably not the common cause. Try a different Linux image or distribution, recreate the USB after downloading it again, and verify the ISO checksum if possible. It would also be useful to see whether a Windows installer boots normally, which helps separate an image problem from a hardware problem.
If the processor has integrated graphics, remove the dedicated graphics card and connect the monitor to the motherboard output. Otherwise, try changing graphics-related firmware settings if available. Linux installers can sometimes fail early because of GPU initialization, especially with certain drivers.
Test with only one RAM stick installed, then try the other stick by itself. Also disable XMP or any memory overclocking in the firmware. Unstable memory settings can cause a reboot right when the live environment starts loading.
I’ve already swapped the graphics card and tested multiple USB drives, but I’ll try one RAM stick at a time with XMP disabled and see whether that changes the behavior.