Ubuntu Studio 12 on AMD A4-3400 & Asus F1A75-M
 

Hoping someone knows the trick to this...
I toasted my old mobo so went for a current one.
Got an Asus F1A75-M and an AMD A4-3400 which I'm reasonably sure is 64-but like pretty much all current CPUs.

Downloaded Ubuntu Studio 12 (Poison Penguin or whatever it's called) DVD and burned it, and it comes up with the language screen, and the Run Live / Install / test screen, but when I click on anything but memory-test, the screen goes dark.

I tried using System Rescue CD 2.8 which did much the same until I tried "High Res Framebuffer Console" and it came up with the usual intro and prompt.

I'm guessing that there's some boot option that I can give the Ubuntu Studio options screen that'll be similar; if anyone knows it I'd be most grateful for the magic word.

I assume it is the integrated AMD video. I had to install to an A6 with generic video and then add in amd's driver. The A-series is not really normal.

Boot to safe mode usually does it and you have to add in driver before you reboot. There should be many forum posts on it either here or on the web.