So, you’ve assembled your brand new shiny gaming PC, and now you’re wondering what to do with it. This can be a surprisingly common phenomenon; there’s so much possibility in the machine you’ve just built or bought that it can feel overwhelming. It can help to lay out exactly what you want to do with your new machine so that you can prioritise tasks that are going to be the most fun for you. Here are 10 things you should do with your new gaming PC as soon as you’ve set it up.
1. Download yourself a gaming browser
There are browsers out there that are specifically designed for gamers. Opera GX is the best of these; it features a RAM limiter, stopping the browser from using too much memory, but it’s also got a spiky, sleek gamer aesthetic and compatibility with various RGB systems. You could even use your new browser to check out sites like Wunderino casino, which offers some great slot and card games that your shiny new PC won’t have any problem at all rendering!
2. Get your gaming software installed
If you’ve put a gaming PC together, then you’ll almost certainly have a keyboard and mouse to go with it. Those peripherals will likely have software to download that you can use to set macros and customise the lighting, so you should download those. In addition, make sure to check out Steam, GOG, and other digital distribution clients where you can start building a gaming library for yourself. Don’t limit yourself to just Steam; there are lots of great games out there on other apps!
3. Test out the rig
Using 3D benchmark software is a good way to test out your rig. That way, you can be sure where your limits are. There are plenty of GPU benchmarking solutions out there that you can use to test out your hardware; after all, you don’t want to download a game, only to realise that your shiny new rig doesn’t actually support it. Using your benchmark software, you can then compare your score to other types of hardware and decide whether certain games are worthy purchases or not.
4. Play some games
It might sound obvious, but one of the first things you should do with your new gaming PC is, well, play some games! Download some hardware-testing games and try them out on your new rig. Fiddle with settings and figure out which ones are draining your hardware the most. If you’re able to play some of the most demanding games on max settings, then try them out and bask in the fact that your PC is superior to console rendering on every level (probably).
5. Download some editing software
Although gaming PCs are, of course, primarily built for gaming, they have other surprising functions as well. One of the things your gaming PC may well be able to do, for example, is to edit video or music, especially if you’ve got yourself a huge amount of RAM (32GB is the optimal amount for editing). You might be surprised by just how silky-smooth the editing process is, so if you’re a creative, you’ve just found another use for your gaming PC!
6. Pick up a VR set
There’s some debate over whether the future of gaming is VR or not, but one thing’s for sure: it’s one heck of a fun gimmick if you’ve got the money for it. The best VR headset out there for PC players right now is the Valve Index, but you might not be able to afford that or even accommodate it in your home, given that it takes up quite a bit of space. A great budget alternative is the Meta Quest 2 headset, if you can stomach Facebook and Meta’s somewhat questionable ethics.
7. Kit out your PC with great peripherals
Your new gaming PC deserves some incredible peripherals to go with it. Razer, SteelSeries, Corsair, and other manufacturers make some excellent keyboards, mice, and other devices, so make sure that you’re complementing your new PC with the best possible accessories. You should also think about getting yourself a high-quality headset and set of speakers, because the immersive sound experience of PC gaming is just as important as the visuals.
8. Upgrade your monitors
We know this isn’t technically something to do with a new PC as much as it is another thing to complement your machine, but you should think about upgrading your monitors as well. Higher refresh rates are great for gaming; they render the action much more smoothly and intuitively than even 60Hz can. Once you’ve played at 144Hz, it’s really difficult to go back to playing at 60, which can be a problem if you split your gaming time between PC and consoles.
9. Try streaming
If your PC has a beefy enough processor, then you could try live streaming yourself while gaming. Services like Twitch and YouTube Live will allow you to broadcast yourself to your followers and anybody else who wants to tune in and watch you game. Apps like OBS are great for setting up a stream, so make sure to download them and run them alongside your gaming session for maximum exposure. You never know – you could even be on the road to becoming a pro streamer!
10. Keep your drivers up-to-date
Having out-of-date drivers is one of the most common issues with gaming PCs. Out of the box, you may find that many of your hardware drivers aren’t up-to-date, even if you’ve got plug-and-play hardware. Graphics cards are one of the biggest offenders in this area, so download your graphics card manufacturer’s proprietary software and get downloading any new drivers you might have missed out on. It can be frustrating for this to be the reason your rig doesn’t work properly.
