How to install a clean Windows 11 for gaming

We want to show you how to install the perfect Windows 11 for your gaming system.

We are aware that there are several different ways to install Windows 11. However, here, we want to show you the most user-friendly option.

System requirements:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
• RAM: 4 gigabyte (GB).
  • We would get at least 32GB for a current gaming system - Why more RAM matters!
• Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device Note: See below under “More information on storage space to keep Windows 11 up-to-date” for more details.
  • We would recommend always installing Windows 11 on an NVMe M.2 SSD so that the operating system can respond to your needs as quickly as possible.
• System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable. Check here for information on how your PC might be able to meet this requirement.
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement.
• Graphics Card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
• Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel.
• Internet connection and Microsoft account: Windows 11 Pro for personal use and Windows 11 Home require internet connectivity and a Microsoft account during initial device setup.
  • Switching a device out of Windows 11 Home in "S mode" also requires internet connectivity. Learn more about S mode here.
  • For all Windows 11 editions, internet access is required to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. A Microsoft account is required for some features.

Note: Over the course of time, Microsoft has adjusted the system requirements for Windows 11 several times. This may also happen in the future to adapt to new standards.

Requirements for the installation of Windows 11:

• You need one-time access to a 2nd PC/Laptop with Windows 10/11
• Check and update the BIOS version
• USB stick with at least 16GB of space
• Format USB Flash Drive
• Download and use Media Creation Tool
• Windows 11 license (incl. key)
  
  

It is important that your operating system runs on a solid and reliable foundation.

We recommend that you make sure that your UEFI BIOS is up to date. You can find this information by going into your BIOS and looking for the version number.

1. Now you need a second PC/Laptop/Mac with internet access and go to the product page of your mainboard.
2. You will find a support tab where you should also find the BIOS updates*.
3. Download the latest version and install the BIOS by following the mainboard manufacturer's instructions.

*Note: If you have purchased a Pre-Build PC, please contact the manufacturer/retailer of this PC first.

Most BIOS versions are set to default. The BIOS is also reset to defaults after a BIOS update.

Therefore, here are the most important BIOS settings for your gaming Windows.

• DRAM - Your RAM usually has an XMP/EXPO profile.
  • Look for a menu item in the BIOS where you can activate XMP/EXPO or D.O.C.P. profiles.
• Chipset - Resize Bar / SAM
  • Resize BAR technology unlocks CPU access to video memory, allowing full access to video memory and multitasking, improving overall data processing and gaming performance.
    • Enable this option in your BIOS

Finally, click on save and exit to save your configuration.

1. Go to the Microsoft Windows 11 landing page to download the Media Creation Tool.
2. Under "Create Windows 11 installation media", click "Download Now".
   1. The Media Creation Tool should download. If you did not specify otherwise, the tool will be located in the download folder.
3. Now insert your USB flash drive into a USB port on the PC/laptop where the Media Creation Tool is located.
4. Start the Media Creation Tool and select "Accept" in the first step.
5. Next, select your preferred language for Windows 11 from the drop-down menu and click "Next".
6. Now select the installation method.
   1. Click "USB Flash Drive" and then click "Next".
7. Your USB flash drive should now be selected and click "Next".
8. The Media Creation Tool will automatically begin downloading Windows 11 for you.
9. Once the download is complete, the Windows 11 installer will be created on your flash drive.
   1. This also happens automatically.
10. When you see the message "Your USB flash drive is ready", the process of creating a Windows 11 installer has been successfully completed. Click on "Finsh"

Now take the USB stick that contains the Windows 11 installer from your PC/laptop and insert it into an available USB port on your PC/Laptop. Depending on the model of the USB stick you've used, the speed can be very different. We recommend you select a fast USB port on your PC/laptop. These are usually shown in colors other than black.

1. Make sure that the following devices and cables are connected to your PC/Laptop:
   1. Monitor
   2. Mouse and keyboard
   3. LAN cable
2. Insert your USB stick into your PC/Laptop.
3. Switch on your PC/Laptop.
4. Your PC/Laptop now boots automatically from your USB stick.
   1. The Windows 11 setup will start.
5. Now select the dropdown menu.
   1. Windows language:
   2. Time zone and currency:
   3. Keyboard or input method:
   4. then click on "Next".
6. Click on "Install now".
7. Now enter your Windows 11 license key here and click on "Next".
8. In the following window you will be asked which Windows 11 version you want to install.
   1. The information about which version you have is usually provided automatically by the Windows 11 key.
   2. Alternatively, select the version you have previously purchased and click on "Next".
9. Agree to the license terms from Microsoft by ticking the box and then click on "Next".
10. You can now remove your USB flash drive from your PC/Laptop. It is no longer needed.

In the following step you must select the correct drive on which Windows 11 is to be installed:

1. For the installation type, select “Customised: Install Windows only (advanced)”.
2. In the following window you will find a list of all the hard drives that you have installed.
3. Please note the following options:
   1. If you have already installed Windows 11 on a drive, it must first be completely deleted
   2. This is done by selecting the old Windows 11 drive in the overview
   3. You can see that a drive (Drive 0 in our example) usually has 3 partitions and they are called as follows:
      1. System
      2. MSR (Reserved)
      3. Primary
   4. Now select each individual partition and click on “Delete”
   5. You should now see a drive labeled "Drive 0 Unallocated Space".
4. If you bought a new drive, there will be no partition on it, but the name "Drive 0 Unallocated Space"
5. Select the drive and click "New"
6. You will now be asked how big your Windows 11 drive should be.
   1. In general, we would always assign the full size to the drive on which Windows 11 is located.
   2. The size of the drive will also be displayed automatically.
   3. click on “Apply”
7. The Windows Installer mentions that separate partitions must be created for Windows to function correctly. Confirm this with “OK”
8. The Windows Installer begins installing Windows 11
9. When the process is complete, your PC/laptop will restart automatically.

After installing Windows 11, the Windows Setup Assistant starts, which you have to go through once. We'll go through this together so that you can see what's more important and what's less important.

1. Select the country where the PC is located and click "Yes".
2. Here you can select your keyboard layout (QWERTZ or QWERTY) and click "Yes".
3. You will now be asked if you want to add another keyboard layout.
   1. Since we only want to use one layout at this time, click "Skip"
   2. If you want to add another layout, click "Add Layout" and select your second layout.
4. The Windows Setup Wizard will check for updates
   1. You will need to wait a moment before you can continue.
5. Now you can give your PC/Laptop a name.
   1. The advantage of this is that the name will automatically appear as the network name.
   2. Name your PC/Laptop something like "Gaming" and click "Next".
   3. You can skip this process and do it later in Windows.
   4. We recommend doing this now, as you may not think about it later.
6. How would you like to set up this device?:
   1. You can then select a purpose for your PC. Since this is a gaming PC, it will be used for personal use only and click "Next".
7. Unlock your Microsoft experience:
   1. To use the full range of Windows 11, including Microsoft's exclusive applications such as XBox Gaming or Office and OneDrive, select "Sign in".
8. You will be asked to create a Microsoft Account.
   1. Where can you get an MS Account?
      1. Previous version of Windows | Office | XBox Live Account | OneDrive
   2. If you already have an MS Account, enter your email address and click "Next".
   3. Now enter the password for your MS Account so that you can log in to your account.
   4. If you don't have an MS account yet, you can create one by clicking on "Create one!"
9. Now you will be asked some questions about the behavior of the applications:
10. First, you will be asked if you want MS and the applications to know your location.
    1. We recommend answering "Yes", otherwise XBOX games (GamePass or Microsoft Store Games) and other applications will not work correctly.
    2. Now click on "Accept"
11. Find my device:
    1. If you have a desktop PC that is always in the same place, select "No".
    2. For Laptops and PCs that change locations, this option makes sense and you can select "Yes" here.
12. Send diagnostic data to Microsoft:
    1. Simply select "Required only" and click "Accept".
13. Improve inking & typing:
    1. If you are using a touchpad, this option makes sense and you can click "Yes".
    2. For everyone else, select "No" and click "Apply".
14. Get a tailored experiences with diagnostic data:
    1. Select "No" and click "Accept".
15. Let apps use the advertising ID:
    1. This option is important for XBox gaming (GamePass | MS Store games)
    2. Select "Yes" and clicking "Accept".
16. The Windows Setup Wizard will check for updates again and then start Windows 11 for the first time.

Windows always installs basic drivers for your system by default. It's also likely that Windows hasn't detected all of your devices yet.

Here is the best order to install drivers / updates:

Chipset drivers:

1. Currently, gamers have either an AMD or an Intel system.
2. The first step is to install the AMD or Intel chipset drivers for your system.
   1. Download AMD - Auto Installer (DOWNLOAD WINDOWS DRIVERS)
   2. Download Intel - Auto Installer (Download Now)
3. Install your chipset drivers and restart Windows.

Video Card Drivers:

1. If you have an AMD Radeon or Intel Arc graphics card in your system, these drivers will be installed automatically by the auto-installer.
2. If you are using an Nvidia graphics card, you must either
   1. Select drivers specifically for your GPU
   2. or use the Nvidia App, which will automatically provide the latest drivers.
3. Then, please restart your PC.

Windows Updates:

1. Click on the Windows Start logo
2. Select “Settings”
3. On the left side select “Windows Update”.
4. Click on “Check for updates"
5. Wait until all Windows updates are installed
6. Then restart your PC.

Now that you have the foundation for a perfect Windows 11 gaming system, it's time to create a Windows restore point. This way, you can always go back to where you started.

1. Click in the Windows Search box
2. Type "restore"
3. An app called "Create a restore point" will appear.
4. Click the app to start it
5. If your drive is marked "Off" under "Protection Settings", you will need to enable the feature first.
6. Please follow these instructions:
   1. Click "Configure".
   2. Select "Turn on system protection".
   3. We recommend setting the slider to 20GB.
   4. Click "Apply".
7. Now you can create a restore point.
8. Click "Create".
9. Enter a name for the backup and click "Create".
10. Your PC/Laptop will now create a restore point.
11. Once it has completed this task, you will receive a message that the process was successful.
12. Click "Close" and then "OK".
13. Restart your PC.
    
    

If you use a keyboard from CORSAIR, such as the K70 Max RGB and a mouse like the Darkstar Wireless, and/or use aniCUE LINK H150i AIO, we recommend you download iCUE to be able to use all the functions of your components and devices .

Now is the time to download all your game launchers so you can play your favorite games:

• Steam
• Battle.net
• Ubisoft Connect
• Epic Games
• GOG Galaxy
• EA Play
• Riot Games