So that you simply spent weeks — if not months — scouring the web to seek out the very best CPUs, GPUs, and different elements so you may construct a brand-new PC. Firstly, congratulations in your new tower. Constructing a PC may seem to be a Herculean process at first, particularly when you’re a newbie, however it’s a really rewarding course of, and also you nearly all the time find yourself with a significantly better PC in comparison with what you could have grabbed from a retailer.
However constructing your individual PC additionally means that you will have to deal with your post-build rituals earlier than you can begin utilizing it. Apart from the plain step of putting in the working system of your selection, there are some things that you have to do after constructing a PC.
1 Fundamental check-up in BIOS
Proper after you bench-test your PC components and guarantee they work, your PC will run a Energy-On Self-Check (POST) earlier than getting into the BIOS or UEFI display screen. You could have to press the F1 or another key in your first boot. You may even see a barely completely different BIOS display screen relying on the model of motherboard you are utilizing, however you may see largely the identical menu objects.
The very first thing you should examine is whether or not all of your put in elements present up correctly on the BIOS display screen. Search for issues like your RAM sticks, SSDs, case followers, and some other components. Making certain all of them present up right here means you have seated them correctly and every thing works. When you see one thing is lacking, then you definately’ll have to return and re-seat them or examine the connections to make sure they work.
I additionally advocate keeping track of the CPU temperature to make sure it is not abnormally excessive. As you may see in my BIOS above, the AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU is sitting at 40 levels Celsius, which is nearly what I might count on. This specific studying might be kind of relying on the CPU and the CPU cooler you are utilizing, so preserve that in thoughts. A superb rule of thumb is to verify it is not steadily rising and is hovering round a selected acceptable restrict.
2 Updating the BIOS
Earlier than we soar into OS set up or tweak the XMP/EXPO settings on our reminiscence sticks, it is vital to run a fast examine and see when you’re operating the newest BIOS on your PC’s motherboard. It is a pretty easy process that must be achieved earlier than you arrange and begin utilizing your PC.
The best manner to do that is by checking the BIOS model of your system and evaluating it with the newest model that is obtainable. A fast Google search can take you to your motherboard vendor’s assist web page, the place you may confirm and obtain the newest BIOS must you want it. You may want a separate pc and a thumb drive, however all you want in any other case is to replace your new BIOS utilizing the built-in flash utility of your motherboard.
This can be a essential step to make sure your motherboard’s firmware has been patched correctly to assist the newest {hardware}. An outdated BIOS might trigger stability points and preserve your system from operating at its most potential. For example, a BIOS replace that was launched a few months again for my motherboard had efficiency optimizations for Ryzen 7000X3D collection processors. Which means that if I used to be operating an older BIOS, then I’ll not get the very best efficiency from my CPU. Newer BIOS additionally brings higher reminiscence assist and eliminates potential compatibility points when you’re utilizing RAM that is newer than the BIOS.
3 Putting in the OS and drivers
As quickly as you are achieved updating the BIOS model of your motherboard, you may need to proceed with the OS set up. This specific step is a no brainer as a result of, effectively, you may want an working system to make use of your PC. We have now a devoted information on easy methods to set up Home windows 11 and a Linux for learners information when you’re new to the latter.
Both manner, when you boot into your working system, it is time to get began with drivers. I like to recommend grabbing all of the motherboard utility and community drivers first to make sure all of your fundamental features are operating correctly. You may discover most of it inside your motherboard’s utility software program, so simply seize that and let the auto-installer do its factor. You possibly can then seize the drivers on your GPU to make sure it is on the newest model as effectively. I personally let the GeForce Expertise software program obtain the newest drivers for my GPU, however you may also obtain and set up them manually.
It is vital to put in and replace the drivers earlier than you begin utilizing your PC to make sure there aren’t any efficiency points and that every thing works as marketed. Putting in drivers on your elements is lots simpler now in comparison with the way it was a couple of years in the past, as you now not have to go attempting to find the appropriate drivers manually.
4 Allow XMP/EXPO
That is an optionally available step that is solely relevant to those that splurge on RAM sticks that assist XMP/EXPO to run at increased speeds.
It’s possible you’ll discover that your BIOS reads a slower velocity on your RAM stick throughout your first boot in comparison with what you paid for. A 6000MHz reminiscence stick, as an illustration, will present up as 4800MHz out of the field when it is first put in. That is as a result of you should manually set the XMP/EXPO profile, which might increase the general efficiency of your RAM, to allow quicker speeds.
XMP, nonetheless, is a closed customary that the producers have to license from Intel. AMD EXPO, alternatively, is an open-source customary that anybody can use. You do not essentially have to purchase a RAM equipment that helps EXPO as an alternative of XMP to make use of with AMD’s Ryzen CPUs, although. Simply ensure that your motherboards assist these profiles in addition to the marketed RAM speeds earlier than you tweak the settings.
Altering the reminiscence profile is so simple as choosing the appropriate profile from a drop-down menu, so you may’t go unsuitable with it right here.
5 Run benchmarks to check all of your elements
Lastly, I like to recommend operating a couple of benchmarks to see in case your CPU, GPU, and different elements are working correctly. Not solely will it let you see how these elements carry out beneath heavy load, however it’ll additionally let you see whether or not their working temperatures are beneath management. Operating a multi-core check in Cinebench will push all cores of your CPU, supplying you with a good suggestion of whether or not your CPU cooler is ready to preserve the temperatures in examine.
Equally, operating a stress check in 3DMark will push your GPU to its limits, permitting you to watch all of the vital metrics. I personally use HWiNFO64 to watch the temperatures of my CPU and GPU however be at liberty to make use of any utility app of your selection for it.
Understand that this is not about securing a excessive rating or evaluating your system efficiency with others based mostly on the outcomes. We’re merely operating these assessments to see how your system behaves beneath stress. When you handle to run all of the benchmarks efficiently with out noticing something out of the atypical, then you might be prepared to begin utilizing your new PC.
Get pleasure from your new PC
With all these steps out of the way in which, you at the moment are prepared to begin putting in all of the applications in your PC. That is additionally a superb time to remind you about all of the completely different software program chances are you’ll want to put in to regulate issues just like the RGB lights, followers, different utility software program, and many others. All these are optionally available applications, which is why I did not cowl them above, however after that, you ought to be good to go.
I hope your PC is operating easily with no points in anyway. When you suppose your new tower is a bit too loud, then I would wish to level to our information detailing every thing you are able to do to make your PC quieter. Alternatively, in case your system is operating a bit too scorching, then you definately may need to try our PC airflow information to see if you wish to make some modifications to the way in which air flows out and in of your tower.
