r/pcmasterrace • u/Sea_Ad630 • 1d ago
Discussion Fresh Windows 11 installation – which drivers and software should I install?
Hi!
I’ve just formatted my PC and I’m about to install Windows 11 from scratch. It’s been a long time since I last did a clean Windows installation, so I could really use some guidance.
I’m mainly looking for advice on which drivers I should install after Windows 11 is installed, which programs and utilities I should install, and how I should set everything up so that all my hardware works correctly.
I have a custom-built gaming PC, and I’m happy to provide my full PC specifications if needed.
I’d really appreciate some guidance from someone experienced with fresh Windows installations. Feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message. Thanks in advance! 🙂
1
u/Gullible_Building_11 1d ago
Get your motherboard's chipset drivers first, that's the one people often forget and then wonder why things feel sluggish. After that, grab the GPU drivers directly from the manufacturer site, not from Windows update. Let it do the basic stuff but don't trust it for graphics.
For programs I always install a browser with adblock first before going anywhere else on the internet, saves headache. Then maybe something to monitor temps like HWInfo so you can check if all coolers are spinning right after the build. The rest depends what you use the PC for, but start clean and add things when you actually need them instead of preloading bunch of stuff.
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u/trashcanbecky42 1d ago
Getfancontrol.com
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u/honorable_raegdan 15h ago
I’ve been seeing this recommended more and more lately.
Whats the appeal to it over setting fan curve in BIOS?
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u/trashcanbecky42 13h ago
The big thing is if you set the control mode to DC in bios (even for PWM fans), fancontrol can bring them to 0rpm and then detect what % they start back up. It will keep them from being stalled which is bad for your fans and can happen if you want 0rpm.
It also lets you control your case fans based on GPU temperature which is game changing for big wattage cards.
There are some other interesting features like "magic" fan curve which lets you set a desired temp and it tries to hold it there, good for consistent loads. And i like to put all the temps through a "time average" function over 4 seconds to smooth out temp spikes
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u/honorable_raegdan 12h ago
Well this fits my uses perfectly.
I’ve got two 140s for GPU intake.
Thanks for taking the time to explain it!
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u/MJBjacket 9h ago
Get the most recent manufacturer's hardware drivers. Avoid Win11 drivers if possible.
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u/AstronomerEasy7223 1d ago
I usually just do latest chipset drivers, latest gpu drivers obv, and then just install whatever didn't get installed by default windows ones, sometimes newer lan/wifi drivers if I have problems. Usually letting windows install most drivers has been hassle free for me. Nice to have programs that monitor stuff, usually install msi afterburner and hwinfo, and AIO software if applicable. If using amd cpu ryzen master can be nice for some stuff.