New Gaming PC Setup Order: Drivers, Updates, Accounts

A new gaming PC can spend its first hour installing five launchers while Windows is still replacing the network driver underneath them. Slow down. A simple setup order keeps restarts predictable and makes a fault easier to trace because you know what changed last.

Quick Answer

Finish Windows setup and activation, run Windows Update, install the motherboard chipset package and then the GPU driver. Check Device Manager before adding peripheral software, game launchers and a large library. Save a stable baseline before changing BIOS memory profiles or tuning fans. Evetech's July 2026 gaming-PC snapshot had a median listed price of R26,722; careful setup protects the time you will spend on the machine as much as the hardware itself.

🪟 Let Windows finish its own work

Connect the PC to a stable network and complete the out-of-box setup. Choose the account arrangement you want rather than clicking through prompts at speed. Confirm Windows activation, set the correct time zone and let Windows Update install its normal patches.

Restart when requested, then check again. The update screen can declare success while another cumulative or device update waits behind the reboot. Keep launchers closed until the operating system reaches a quiet baseline.

Open Device Manager after the final restart. Warning symbols give you a useful list of what Windows did not recognise. Take a screenshot before installing more packages so you can see what the next step fixed.

Evetech's gaming PC range lets you compare your component list with current configurations while setting up the new machine.

🧩 Install the platform before the graphics extras

Download the chipset package for your exact motherboard platform. It helps Windows identify and manage the processor, PCI Express links, USB controllers and power behaviour. Restart after installation if the package asks.

Install the graphics driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel according to the card in the PC. Use the normal clean-install option only when you have a reason; an aggressive driver-removal tool is unnecessary on a fresh working system.

Add motherboard network, audio or storage drivers when Device Manager, the component specification or a missing feature calls for them. Avoid an automatic driver site that offers a dozen mysterious updates. The motherboard support page and component makers are the useful sources.

🖱️ Add peripherals without creating a software pile

Connect mouse, keyboard, headset and controller one at a time. Test basic input before installing each vendor app. Windows may already provide every function you use, while lighting, macro or firmware tools remain optional.

If a device needs a firmware update, keep it connected directly to a rear motherboard USB port and do not interrupt the process. Save one working profile before importing someone else's settings.

Check the monitor's native resolution and refresh rate now. Set audio output and microphone input by device name, then make a short recording. It is easier to fix the wrong microphone before joining your first match.

🔐 Set accounts and recovery before the game library

Install your password manager or use the secure sign-in method you trust. Enable multi-factor protection on the email and game accounts that can reset everything else. Do not reuse the same password across launchers.

Save device-encryption recovery information somewhere you can access if the PC will not boot. Turn on cloud saves and choose a backup location for documents, screenshots and local saves. Recovery data belongs outside the machine it may need to recover.

Only then install Steam and the other launchers you use. Set their library folders to the intended SSD before downloading hundreds of gigabytes. If the PC has a smaller Windows drive and a larger game drive, naming them clearly prevents an avoidable space crisis.

The PC best-sellers at Evetech give you current storage and component context while you organise the new system.

🎛️ Make BIOS and tuning changes from a known baseline

Use the PC at stock settings first. Check total memory, storage, CPU and GPU in Windows, then run a short benchmark or familiar game. Record the result and temperatures.

Enable XMP or EXPO only when it is part of the memory setup you intend to use. Change one BIOS control, save and test again. The first boot can take longer while memory trains. If the machine becomes unstable, the stock baseline tells you where to return.

Do not update the BIOS merely to make every version number match today's date. Read the release notes and use the exact file for the motherboard and revision when an update solves a relevant issue.

Game optimisation comes last. Start with the monitor resolution, a sensible preset and a frame cap. Once the system is stable, adjust the settings that matter to the game. Driver installation and graphics tuning are much easier when they are not happening in the same ten minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should Windows updates run before or after installing drivers?

Let Windows complete its initial updates first, then install current platform and graphics drivers for the exact hardware.

Why install the chipset driver before the GPU driver?

It establishes the motherboard platform and power behaviour before you add the dedicated graphics package.

When should game launchers like Steam be installed?

Install them after Windows, core drivers and device checks are stable, then choose the correct library drive.

Does the order matter for peripheral drivers like mouse or keyboard software?

Connect and test each device first. Add its app only when you need firmware, profiles, lighting or macros.

Should I enable XMP or EXPO before or after installing drivers?

Create a stable stock baseline first. Enable the memory profile afterwards and test it as a separate change.

Is it necessary to restart between each driver install?

Restart whenever an installer requests it and after core platform changes. You do not need a ritual reboot for every small utility.

Should antivirus be set up before or after drivers?

Windows security is active during setup. Configure any chosen security product after core updates and drivers, before downloading from unfamiliar sources.