New Gaming PC Setup Checklist: 10 Things to Do First

A new PC often isn’t running at full speed out of the box. Go through this list on day one.

This checklist is the last step of our full guide to setting up for gaming.

1. Plug the monitor into the graphics card

Plug the monitor into the graphics card’s ports, lower down on the back of the case, not the motherboard ports near the top. This is the most common new-PC mistake, and it costs a huge amount of performance.

2. Run Windows Update

Install all updates and restart, more than once if needed, until nothing new shows up.

3. Install the latest GPU driver

Download it from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel directly. Windows’ default display driver is fine for the desktop but not for gaming.

4. Install chipset drivers

Get them from your motherboard maker’s support page or from AMD/Intel. They help with power management and system stability.

5. Enable XMP / EXPO in the BIOS

Restart, enter the BIOS (usually Del or F2 during boot), and turn on XMP (Intel) or EXPO (AMD). Then check in Task Manager → Performance → Memory that the speed matches your RAM’s rating.

6. Set your monitor’s refresh rate

Go to Settings → System → Display → Advanced display and select the highest refresh rate. Windows often defaults to 60Hz on a 144Hz+ monitor.

7. Check your power plan

Use the Balanced or High performance power mode. Avoid battery-saver style plans on a desktop.

8. Check temperatures

Run a demanding game or benchmark and monitor CPU and GPU temperatures to confirm the cooling was installed correctly.

9. Remove bloatware and trim startup apps

Uninstall trial software and disable unneeded apps under Task Manager → Startup apps.

10. Benchmark and save the result

Run a quick benchmark now. If performance ever seems off later, you’ll have a baseline to compare against.