How to Install an Operating System on Your New PC (2026)

The first thing your new PC needs

You’ve built the hardware. The BIOS posts. Now your PC needs an operating system — the software that runs everything else. This guide covers how to choose between Windows and Linux, how to create a bootable USB installer, and how to get through the installation cleanly on your first try.

If you haven’t built your PC yet, read our step-by-step beginner build guide first. And make sure your storage drive is properly installed — our SSD vs HDD guide explains why NVMe is the right choice for your OS drive.

Windows or Linux — which should you choose?

Choose Windows if:

You mainly game — Windows has the best game compatibility by a wide margin
You use Adobe software (Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects)
You’re a complete beginner who wants everything to just work
You play any anti-cheat protected games (Valorant, CS2, Fortnite, EAC/BattlEye titles)

Choose Linux if:

You want a free, fast, private operating system with no ads or telemetry
You do development, coding, or server work
You play older games, indie titles, or games with good Proton/Steam compatibility
You’re comfortable troubleshooting occasional compatibility issues

The honest gaming reality in 2026

Linux gaming has improved dramatically through Valve’s Proton compatibility layer. Most Steam games work well on Linux. However, games with kernel-level anti-cheat (Valorant, PUBG, some Call of Duty titles) either don’t work at all or require specific configuration. If competitive FPS titles are your primary games, Windows is the safer choice.

Option 1: Installing Windows 11

What you’ll need

A USB drive (8GB minimum, 16GB recommended)
A second PC or laptop to create the installer (or a friend’s)
A Windows 11 license — or proceed without one (see below)

Step 1: Download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool

On a working PC, go to microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 and download the Media Creation Tool. Run it, accept the terms, select “Create installation media for another PC,” choose your USB drive, and let it download and write the installer. This takes 15–30 minutes depending on your connection.

Step 2: Boot from the USB

Insert the USB into your new PC and power it on. When you see the manufacturer logo (ASUS, MSI, etc.), press the boot menu key — usually F11 or F12. Select your USB drive from the list. If you miss it, restart and try again.

If you can’t get to the boot menu, go into the BIOS (usually Delete or F2 on boot) and set the USB as the first boot device under the Boot menu.

Step 3: Install Windows

Follow the on-screen installer:

Select language, time, and keyboard layout
Click Install now
When asked for a product key, click I don’t have a product key if you don’t have one yet — you can activate later
Select Windows 11 Home unless you specifically need Pro features
Choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
Select your NVMe SSD as the destination — it should show as unallocated space. If you see multiple partitions from a previous install, delete them all, select the remaining unallocated space, and click Next
Windows installs and restarts several times — leave it alone

Step 4: First boot setup

Windows will walk you through region, keyboard layout, and account setup. A few things worth knowing:

Choose “Set up for personal use” not “Set up for work or school” unless it’s a work machine
You can skip Microsoft account sign-in by clicking “Sign-in options” → “Offline account” → “Limited experience” — this creates a local account without requiring a Microsoft login
Skip everything optional — you can configure privacy settings, OneDrive, and Cortana later

Step 5: Install drivers immediately

Once on the desktop, download and install:

GPU drivers — from AMD or Nvidia directly. Don’t rely on Windows Update for these
Chipset drivers — from your motherboard manufacturer’s support page (AMD, Intel, or the board brand)
Windows Update — run it fully and restart until no updates remain

Do you need to pay for Windows?

Windows 11 runs indefinitely without activation. You’ll see a small watermark in the bottom-right corner and can’t change your desktop wallpaper or accent colors. Everything else works normally.

A legitimate license from Microsoft costs $139. OEM keys from resellers cost $20–$30 and work fine — they’re not officially supported by Microsoft but activate without issue for most people. Your choice.

Option 2: Installing Linux

Linux is free, fast, and requires no license. It boots quicker than Windows, uses less RAM at idle, and has no telemetry or forced updates. For a development machine, home server, or general-purpose PC where gaming isn’t the priority, it’s an excellent choice.

Which distro should you install?

A “distro” (distribution) is a packaged version of Linux with a specific desktop environment and set of default apps. There are hundreds — here are the ones worth considering for different use cases:

Distro	Best for	Difficulty
Ubuntu	Absolute beginners, general use	Easy
Linux Mint	Windows refugees, familiar interface	Easy
Pop!_OS	Gaming on Linux, developers	Easy–Medium
Fedora	Developers, up-to-date software	Medium
Arch Linux	Experienced users, full control	Hard

Our recommendation for most people: Linux Mint or Pop!_OS

Linux Mint looks and feels the most like Windows — familiar taskbar, start menu, file manager. If you’re coming from Windows and want the least friction, this is the one.

Pop!_OS from System76 is the best option if gaming matters at all. It ships with Nvidia GPU drivers pre-installed, has excellent Steam/Proton integration, and is well-maintained. Built on Ubuntu so software compatibility is excellent.

Step 1: Download your chosen distro

Linux Mint: linuxmint.com/download.php — choose the Cinnamon edition
Pop!_OS: pop.system76.com — choose the Nvidia version if you have an Nvidia GPU, Intel/AMD otherwise

You’ll download an ISO file — a disk image around 2–4GB.

Step 2: Create a bootable USB

Download Balena Etcher from balena.io/etcher — it’s free and takes 2 minutes. Open it, select your ISO, select your USB drive, click Flash. Done.

Step 3: Boot from the USB and try it first

Linux lets you boot and run directly from the USB without installing — called a “live session.” This is a great way to check that your hardware works before committing. Insert the USB, boot from it (F11/F12 for boot menu), and select “Try Linux Mint” or “Try Pop!_OS.” Everything should work including WiFi, audio, and display.

Step 4: Install

When you’re ready, double-click the Install icon on the desktop:

Choose your language and keyboard layout
Select Erase disk and install if this is a fresh drive — this wipes everything and sets up the partitions automatically
Set your timezone, create a username and password
Click Install and wait 10–20 minutes
Restart when prompted, remove the USB

Step 5: First things after install

Once booted into your new Linux install:

Run system updates — open the Update Manager (Mint) or Settings → OS Upgrade (Pop!_OS) and install everything
Install Steam — available in the software center on both distros. Enable Steam Play in Steam settings to access Proton for Windows games
Check your GPU drivers — Pop!_OS handles this automatically. On Mint, open Driver Manager and install the recommended GPU driver

Gaming on Linux: what works and what doesn’t

Works well:

Most Steam games via Proton — check ProtonDB.com for compatibility ratings on specific titles
GOG games via Lutris
Older titles, indie games, RPGs

Doesn’t work or is unreliable:

Valorant (kernel-level anti-cheat, EasyAntiCheat not supported on Linux)
Some Call of Duty titles
Any game requiring BattlEye without Linux support

Check ProtonDB before assuming a game won’t work — the community reports are accurate and updated regularly.

After installation: what to do next

Regardless of which OS you chose:

Install your GPU drivers — the single most important step after OS install
Run all updates — Windows Update or your Linux package manager
Install Steam — store.steampowered.com
Benchmark your build — run 3DMark (free tier) to confirm your hardware is performing as expected
Check temperatures — download HWiNFO64 (Windows) or use sensors/psensor (Linux) and run a game for 30 minutes. If GPU or CPU exceeds 90°C consistently, check your cooling

Quick reference

	Windows 11	Linux Mint	Pop!_OS
Cost	$0–$139	Free	Free
Gaming	Best	Good (Proton)	Best Linux option
Ease of use	Easy	Easy	Easy–Medium
Anti-cheat support	Full	Limited	Limited
Privacy	Poor (default)	Excellent	Excellent
Best for	Gamers, general use	Windows refugees	Gaming on Linux

Ready to finish setting up? Once your OS is installed, check our build guides to confirm your hardware is paired correctly, or read our beginner build guide if you haven’t assembled the hardware yet.