My apologies, this was a lapse in my own capability.   Intel chips require non-free firmware in the form of microcode that Debian does not include on its default .iso bootable installer. See this link. I have resolved my own issue, but I am going to leave this post up for anyone who faces the same issue in the future.
Hello,  I recently replaced the processor inside my Optiplex 3020 SFF, from a Pentium G3250 to a Core i5 3690S. The processor installation went fine, but when I started the computer, my Linux (Debian) install would not boot. I have been troubleshooting for about a day now, and here is what I have tried:   At this point, I'm stumped. The processor I installed is compatible with the same socket and chipset (LGA-1150, chipset H81). My current line of thinking is that it could have *something* to do with Intel processor microcode, but I'm not quite sure how to tackle that problem. Thank you in advance for any assistance!
Optiplex 3020 SFF won't boot Linux