Fresh PC Build: Which Drivers to Install First

The first boot of a new build is exciting right up until Device Manager fills with mystery devices and your Wi-Fi won't connect. Almost all of those first-day headaches come from installing drivers in a scattered order instead of a deliberate one. Work through a short checklist in the right sequence and the whole thing goes smoothly: Windows gets its footing, the chipset lays the foundation, and each remaining component slots in cleanly with the graphics driver going in dead last. Follow the checklist below and you'll skip the classic new-build problems entirely.

1. 1

   Let Windows Update take the first pass

   Before installing anything by hand, get Windows current. Open Settings, go to Windows Update, and click Check for updates. Install everything it offers, reboot, and check again until it comes back clean. Fresh Windows already includes generic drivers good enough to run your display, mouse, keyboard, and often your network, which is exactly what you need to get this far. Letting Windows Update run first also stops it from quietly swapping in its own driver later while you're mid-install. Get this baseline solid and stable at the desktop before moving to vendor drivers.

2. 2

   Install the chipset driver next

   The chipset is the foundation everything else builds on, so it goes in right after Windows is current. It defines your motherboard's PCIe lanes, USB controllers, and power management for Windows. Get the package for your exact motherboard model from the board maker's official support page: the AMD chipset driver package for AMD boards, or Intel's chipset software for Intel boards. Run it, follow the prompts, and reboot when it's done even if it doesn't ask. Doing this early means every driver you install afterward attaches to hardware Windows already understands correctly, which is the whole point of the order.

3. 3

   Add storage and platform components

   With the chipset in, load the low-level pieces that sit closest to the platform. On Intel builds this can include the Management Engine interface and, depending on your storage setup, the Rapid Storage Technology driver. On AMD builds the chipset package usually bundles these, so just confirm nothing platform-level is still missing. These components manage disk access and background functions, and getting them settled before higher-level devices keeps storage and controllers reporting themselves correctly. Reboot if any installer asks before you continue up the stack to networking.

4. 4

   Get networking and audio working

   Now bring the machine fully online and give it sound. Install the wired LAN driver first, then the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers if your board has them, all from your motherboard maker's official support page. A dependable connection means Windows can fetch anything it still needs on its own. Once networking is confirmed, install the audio driver, usually a Realtek or vendor-branded package. Audio rides on buses the chipset already mapped, which is why it follows rather than leads. Test that the network connects and sound plays before moving on to graphics.

5. 5

   Install the GPU driver last

   Graphics goes in at the very end, on purpose. By now the chipset has defined the PCIe lanes your card actually sits on, so the GPU driver installs onto a fully described slot instead of a placeholder. Get it from the graphics chip maker's official page, or from your board vendor if you're using integrated graphics. If the installer offers a clean install option, take it, then reboot. Saving graphics for last avoids the flickering and resolution glitches that show up when a display driver loads before the platform beneath it is ready.

6. 6

   Enable your memory profile in firmware

   New memory runs at a conservative default speed until you tell the board otherwise. To reach the speed you paid for, restart into firmware setup by tapping Delete or F2 at boot, then find and enable the memory profile: XMP on most Intel-friendly boards, EXPO or DOCP on many AMD boards. Save and exit, and let the system reboot. If it fails to post afterward, the board will usually recover to defaults on its own or after a brief wait, and you can try again. This step is quick but easy to forget on a first build.

7. 7

   Do a final Device Manager sweep

   Finish by confirming nothing was left behind. Right-click the Start button, choose Device Manager, and scan the entire list for yellow warning triangles, question marks, or anything sitting under "Other devices." Each of those is hardware still missing a driver. Right-click a problem entry, open Properties, and use the Details tab's Hardware Ids to identify it, then grab the matching driver from the correct official support page. When the list is clean with no unknown devices, your build is properly driven and ready for everyday use.