PC Optimization Checklist: 15 Things to Do on a New Windows PC

Most people unbox a new PC and immediately install their games. Three months later they're troubleshooting stutters, FPS drops, and slow boot times that could have been prevented by spending 30 minutes at setup.

This checklist covers everything to do on a fresh Windows install — in the right order.

Before You Install Games

1. Complete Windows Update (All of It)

Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. Install everything — feature updates, optional updates, and driver updates. Reboot, then check again until the queue is empty.

Windows ships with placeholder drivers. The real, optimized drivers arrive via update.

2. Install Your GPU Driver (Clean Install)

Download the latest driver from NVIDIA.com or AMD.com directly. Don't use the version Windows Update recommends — it's always behind.

During installation, choose Custom Install → check "Perform a clean installation". This wipes old config files and starts fresh.

3. Install All Other Drivers

If you built your own PC or have a desktop: visit your motherboard manufacturer's website (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock) and download:

• Chipset drivers
• Audio drivers (Realtek or Sound Blaster)
• LAN / WiFi drivers

OEM laptops: visit Dell, HP, Lenovo, or ASUS support and download the driver pack for your exact model number.

4. Set the Correct Power Plan

Control Panel → Power Options → High Performance. On laptops, also set the battery profile to "Best Performance" in the taskbar battery menu when plugged in.

This is the single change that has the most consistent FPS impact across all hardware.

5. Set Your Monitor's Refresh Rate

Right-click Desktop → Display settings → Advanced display → Refresh rate. If you have a 144Hz, 165Hz, or 240Hz monitor, make sure Windows is actually using it. It defaults to 60Hz on fresh installs.

Use a DisplayPort cable for 144Hz+ monitors. HDMI has bandwidth limits depending on version.

6. Remove OEM Bloatware (Pre-built PCs)

Pre-built systems from Dell, HP, and Lenovo include trial software, branded utilities, and promotional apps. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps and uninstall anything from the manufacturer that you didn't ask for — support center apps, game stores, branded tuning utilities (often inferior to the GPU vendor's own).

Keep: GPU control panel (NVIDIA or AMD), audio control panel, security software you intend to use.

7. Configure Startup Applications

Open Task Manager → Startup apps. Disable everything except your antivirus and GPU control panel. Every other app can launch when you need it, not at every boot.

High-impact startup apps on fresh systems: OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Edge update assistant, manufacturer support utilities.

Gaming-Specific Setup

8. Run SageTweaks

After the OS-level setup above, SageTweaks handles the gaming-focused layer: GPU power settings, CPU scheduling priorities, USB latency tweaks, timer resolution, and dedicated/detected game profile flows. It applies supported recommendations in one pass that would take time to configure manually. For a manual walkthrough of similar optimizations, see the Windows 11 optimization guide for gamers.

This is the right point in the setup order — drivers and power plan first, then game optimizations.

9. Configure In-Game Graphics for Each Title

For every competitive game: set Display Mode → Fullscreen (not Borderless Windowed), disable V-Sync in both the game and GPU control panel, and set texture quality to match your VRAM capacity:

• 4GB VRAM: Medium textures maximum at 1080p
• 6–8GB VRAM: High textures at 1080p, Medium at 1440p
• 10GB+ VRAM: High/Ultra textures at 1440p

10. Disable Xbox Game Bar DVR

Xbox Game Bar's background recording feature (Game DVR) records the last few minutes of gameplay. On mid-range hardware this consumes GPU memory bandwidth.

Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar → toggle Off

Also: Settings → Gaming → Captures → Record in the background → Off

11. Configure Your Antivirus Game Exclusions

Add your games folder (C:\Games\ or wherever Steam/Epic installs games) to your antivirus exclusion list. Antivirus real-time scanning of game files causes stutters during asset loads.

Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Add or remove exclusions → Add a folder

12. Set Up Storage Correctly

If you have both an SSD and an HDD: install Windows, all games, and frequently used apps on the SSD. Use the HDD only for media storage, backups, and rarely-accessed files.

Move your Steam library to the SSD: Steam → Settings → Storage → Add Drive → set as default.

System Health and Longevity

13. Check RAM Configuration (Dual-Channel)

Open CPU-Z → Memory tab and verify the Channel field shows "Dual." Single-channel RAM halves memory bandwidth and costs 15–25% FPS on Ryzen CPUs.

If it shows "Single," your RAM sticks are in the wrong slots. Check your motherboard manual for the correct A2/B2 configuration.

14. Enable XMP / EXPO (RAM Overclocking)

RAM is sold at its rated speed (e.g., 3200MHz) but ships running at 2133MHz by default. Enable the manufacturer's speed profile in BIOS:

• NVIDIA/Intel: Look for "XMP" in BIOS memory settings
• AMD: Look for "EXPO" or "A-XMP"

Enable it and save. This is safe — it's what the RAM was designed to run at. The performance improvement is real, especially on AMD systems.

15. Create a System Restore Point

After completing the full setup, create a restore point so you can recover this exact configuration if anything goes wrong.

System Properties (sysdm.cpl) → System Protection → Create. Name it "Clean Gaming Setup — [date]."

Summary Checklist

• [ ] Windows Update — all updates installed
• [ ] GPU driver — clean install from manufacturer
• [ ] Motherboard/OEM drivers installed
• [ ] Power plan → High Performance
• [ ] Monitor refresh rate set correctly
• [ ] OEM bloatware removed
• [ ] Startup apps trimmed
• [ ] SageTweaks applied
• [ ] In-game graphics configured per title
• [ ] Xbox Game Bar DVR disabled
• [ ] Antivirus game folder exclusions set
• [ ] Storage: games on SSD
• [ ] RAM dual-channel verified
• [ ] XMP/EXPO enabled in BIOS
• [ ] System restore point created

Work through this list top to bottom on every new build or fresh install. Items 4, 8, 13, and 14 are the highest-impact ones — don't skip them. After completing the checklist, see how to boost FPS in Windows 11 for game-session-specific tweaks that build on this foundation.

SageTweaks covers step 8 and several items within steps 9–12 automatically once you've completed the hardware and driver setup steps above.