I'm sorry: the "supplemental info" can be a little misleading: just checked, that got no framebuffer WITH OR WITHOUT nouveau module loaded, then it must be kernel-related problem. But still there is a difference: with nouveau module loaded the machine doesn't want to make "poweroff" when pressed power button (not being able to see anything on the screen, I'm not sure, did it make a proper shutdown) - while without the module it shuts the power off properly. -- Z.