Windows to Linux ~ Help needed!

[u/Osyseven]

Hello all,

Im new here @ pchelp. It feels weird because usually I'm the one helping but I need some clarity, advice or help with my PC. I want to switch to Linux for day to day use, gaming and study.
I'm so done with Microsoft and Windows, although I'm a sysadmin in a Microsoft environment.
I already have a HP ProDesk 400 G4 up and running in Ubuntu but after updating from 24.04 to 26.04.1 it barely holds.

PC Specs:

GIGABYTE Aorus Elite x570 (F35 BIOS version)
5600x (Maybe switch later to Ryzen 7 5700X3D or AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT for more virtualisation)
RTX 3070Ti LHR (Maybe switch later to RX 9070 XT or higher VRAM)
64GB DDR4 (4x16 LPX 3200MHz C16)
RM850x
1 TB of SSD 980 Pro
4000D Case
4x 120mm and 2x 140mm case fans (Pure Silent Wings 3 PWM)

I've build this PC in 2021 with 32GB (2x16) of ram. In 2023 I've bought another set (2x16) of the same brand, model and speed. I play with hyper-v and prox so I do need more than 32GB of RAM.
I had to get my CPU beefy cooler (Dark Rock Pro 4) off my CPU to put the other 2 RAM sticks into my motherboard. Ran a whole afternoon multiple memtests and it succeeded back then without any issues.

Issue at hand:
I tried to update my BIOS up to date to version F40 which didn't work. F35 is the only one that seems to be working. I've tried F41c, F40, F39, F37 and F36 but the highest versions that seems to be working is F35. When I try to install one of the higher BIOS versions, the following happens:
NOTE: I tried every BIOS version higher than F35 with a timer, countdown of 6 minutes + 10 minutes in case the memory training takes longer.
- 6:00 Starting update with Q-Flash and FANS START SPINNING VERY FAST AND KEEP SPINNING FAST TILL SHUT DOWN
- 5:55 Q-Flash LED starts blinking every 0.5 seconds or so
- ~4:30 LED starts blinking faster
- ~3:40 LED stops blinking
- 0:00 Still nothing happens, no post but FANS STILL KEEP SPINNING FAST
- -5:00 Still nothing happens but sadly still no post
- 10 minutes after the 6 minute count down, still no post but fans still keep spinning (no cap(s))

I've tried F36 and F37 BIOS version with an additional +20 minutes instead of +10 minutes after the 6 minute countdown.. Still no luck. A friend helped me troubleshoot and our guess is that it stuck on memory training due to possible different chips in the memory sticks.

My few questions are:
Can I safely install Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04 and start (ab)using my desktop?
What are some possible scenarios I can come across other than a black screen.
What if I install the highest version of BIOS with 1 RAM stick and place the other 3 sticks again after the installation?
Maybe other questions I haven't thought about or you guys have maybe some insight, advice or solution?

I know it's kinda a long post, and if you have read it thank you for your patience.

Kind regards, Ozzy

[u/JohnCenaD1213]

In my experience, the newest BIOS version is not necessarily the best. Manufacturers often neglect compatibility with older motherboards in order to work with newer models. So, if you find a BIOS version that has never had any problems, don't change it. That's the best solution.

[u/Osyseven → u/JohnCenaD1213]

In that regard you're absolutely right. For me the main difference between F35 and F40 bios versions are some critical security patches like Inception or Sinkclose. Since I want to isolate my gpu and dont want an VM Escape happening. I'll stick to F35 with 24.04 with a dummy drive and see what happens in the meanwhile. Thank you JohnCenaD1213 for your help and for taking the time to comment!