I'm using an HP Probook 440 G8 with the following specs: Intel Iris Xe graphics, Intel i5 11th Gen processor, 16 GB RAM, and an NVMe SSD. Most of the Linux distros I've tried have given me a hard time. For instance, Kubuntu wouldn't recognize my drivers, Fedora became unbootable out of the blue, Zorin OS randomly shut down, and Cachy OS (Arch) didn't recognize my GPU at all. Debian kind of worked but, honestly, it's Debian. I'm wondering if these issues are due to my hardware or just that Linux isn't a good fit for me. Currently, I'm back to using Windows 11 because it's the only OS that works reliably for me. Any advice on how to tackle these problems or suggestions for better distros?
3 Answers
It sounds like you may be facing some common issues with driver support. Your model is actually certified for Ubuntu, so it should work fine. Sometimes, issues can be resolved with updates or tweaks in settings. It's worth checking that you're using the right versions of any distros, especially the latest Ubuntu variants, which are known for better support with Intel 11th Gen graphics.
Regarding your GPU issues, make sure you're not using an older version of Kubuntu. The 11th Gen Intel graphics perform much better on Ubuntu 24.04 and newer without needing manual tweaks. Also, provide more details if you can—like when you say it didn't recognize the GPU, was it just sluggish or simply not detected? Understanding the specifics will help get to the root of the problem.
I have an older Probook, the 450 G6, and it's running Debian quite smoothly now after some minor configuration changes. It's mainly for light work and gaming like Sims 4, and I've had no significant issues. Just make sure your setup and drivers are correctly configured, and it should work well for you too!
That's a good point! I also faced similar issues but found that sticking to the newest releases helped a lot. Definitely give Ubuntu 24.04 a shot!