Constant crashes

General Help
1

i recently reinstalled zorin after having lots of issues with bazzite. before, my system ran smoothly with zero issues, even playing nice in a dual boot with windows. now, the os freezes incessantly. an interesting thing is that firefox also crashes intermittently, which is a problem i had with bazzite. i had this problem once before with my previous install, but a system update fixed it. i've tried updating, reinstalling nvidia drivers, and adding noapic to my boot params all to no avail. i'm aware my device is known to have issues with linux, but none of the fixes i've tried have worked. the install runs completely fine, no issues with apic or drivers when dealing with the live usb, all the problems come after install.

System Details Report

Report details

  • Date generated: 2026-04-05 17:40:17

Hardware Information:

  • Hardware Model: HP HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop TG01-0xxx
  • Memory: 8.0 GiB
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 5 3500 × 6
  • Graphics: NVIDIA Corporation TU116 [GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER]
  • Disk Capacity: 256.1 GB

Software Information:

  • Firmware Version: F.43
  • OS Name: Zorin OS 18 Core
  • OS Build: (null)
  • OS Type: 64-bit
  • Windowing System: X11
  • Kernel Version: Linux 6.17.0-20-generic

im willing to try anything but im generally new to linux so patience is appreciated. thanks.

2

Hey Delaney, welcome back to Zorin, and to the forum. I did a quick bit of checking with the specs you supplied. Might one of these apply?

Here is the breakdown of the potential causes and fixes for your system freezes on Zorin OS 18, focusing on your specific hardware and the 6.17 kernel.

1. The Kernel (Primary Software Suspect)

The Linux 6.17-20 kernel has a known "regression" (a bug introduced in an update) that specifically impacts certain NVIDIA-AMD combinations. Users have reported random "hard locks" where the system stops responding entirely.

  • The Issue: A mismatch between the 6.17 kernel’s power management and the NVIDIA 1650 SUPER drivers can cause the GPU to hang.
  • The Fix: When you turn on your PC, repeatedly tap the Esc or Shift key to bring up the Grub Menu. Select "Advanced options for Zorin" and choose an older kernel version (like 6.14 or 6.11) if available. If the system is stable on an older version, the 6.17 kernel is definitely the culprit.

2. Ryzen "C-State" Idle Freezes

This is a very common issue for Ryzen 3000-series CPUs (like your 3500) on Linux. The CPU tries to enter a deep sleep state (C6) to save power, but the voltage drops too low, and the system freezes.

  • The Fix: You can disable these deep sleep states by adding a line to your boot configuration:
    1. Open the Terminal and type: sudo nano /etc/default/grub
    2. Locate the line: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
    3. Add processor.max_cstate=1 inside the quotes so it looks like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash processor.max_cstate=1"

  1. Press Ctrl+O, then Enter to save, and Ctrl+X to exit.
  2. Run sudo update-grub and then restart your computer.

3. NVIDIA Driver & GSP Firmware

Newer NVIDIA drivers (550+) use a feature called "GSP Firmware" that offloads tasks to the GPU. On older cards like your 1650 SUPER, this can sometimes cause the system to freeze during specific tasks.

  • The Fix: You can try disabling GSP.
    1. Create a configuration file: sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-gsp.conf
    2. Paste this line into the file: options nvidia NVreg_EnableGpuFirmware=0
    3. Save and exit, then run sudo update-initramfs -u and reboot.

4. Hardware & Power Supply (HP Pavilion Specific)

HP Pavilion Gaming Desktops often use proprietary power supplies that are "just enough" for the components.

  • RAM Check: You have 8.0 GiB of memory. Zorin OS 18 Core is modern; if you have many browser tabs or a game open, you might be hitting "Swap" (where the PC uses the disk as RAM), which can look like a temporary freeze.
  • NVIDIA Settings: Open the "NVIDIA X Server Settings" app and under PowerMizer, change the "Preferred Mode" from Auto to "Prefer Maximum Performance." This prevents the GPU from "down-clocking" too aggressively, which often triggers freezes.
3

Welcome to the Forum!

Are Secure Boot and Fast Boot in BIOS disabled?

What Nvidia Driver do You use? And have You chosen the Option with Nvidia Drivers for Installation?

4

using kernel 6.14 causes some crazy lag and cpu usage in the 80% with just a browser open, and still has the same freezing/lock up problem. editing the processor state causes the system to freeze up on the lock screen. other than that, i've tried each of these options to no avail. i'm really at a loss. could it be anything else?

5

yes, secure boot and fast boot is disabled in bios, im on nvidia driver 570.211.01 and i installed with the nvidia option.

6

Okay, let's try it with uninstalling the Nvidia Driver and installing it again via Terminal.

First type

sudo apt purge nvidia* libnvidia*

to remove the Nvidia Stuff. Then type

sudo apt autoremove

to remove File Rests. but take a Look at the List before You delete it. Then install the Driver with

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-570 nvidia-dkms-570

If You want try a different Driver replace the 570 with the Driver number of the Driver. For Example 550 or 580 or 590 etc.

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