You’ve just finished a new build and worked through the first-boot setup. Now you’re at a clean desktop, and it’s tempting to immediately install a pile of programs. Resist the pile — but there is a short list of genuinely useful, free software that’s worth having on any PC. Here’s what actually earns a place, roughly in the order you’d want it.
Hardware monitoring
The first thing worth installing, because it lets you keep an eye on your new build’s health. HWiNFO gives you detailed real-time readings of temperatures, clock speeds, fan speeds, and voltages — invaluable for checking your cooling is doing its job. MSI Afterburner (despite the name, it works with most graphics cards) adds an on-screen display so you can watch GPU temperature and usage while gaming, and helps with spotting bottlenecks. Every builder should have monitoring installed.
A better web browser
Windows comes with Edge, which is perfectly fine, but many people prefer alternatives like Firefox or a Chromium-based browser of their choice. Install whichever you like and sign in to sync your bookmarks. Minor, but it’s usually the first thing anyone does.
GPU control software
Your graphics driver comes with a control app — Nvidia’s app or AMD’s Adrenalin software. These are worth setting up properly: they keep your graphics driver updated, let you tweak per-game settings, enable features like upscaling, and record gameplay. Not optional, really — this is how you manage the most important component in a gaming build.
A file archiver
Windows handles basic ZIP files, but a dedicated archiver like 7-Zip is free, lightweight, and handles far more formats (RAR, 7z, and others). You’ll hit a file Windows can’t open sooner than you think, and 7-Zip quietly solves it. A classic install-once-and-forget utility.
Communication and gaming platforms
Depending on how you use your PC, you’ll likely want your game launchers (Steam, and whatever else you use) and a voice/chat app like Discord. These are obvious, but worth installing deliberately rather than letting them all pile into your startup and slow your boot. Which brings us to the next point.
A note on startup bloat
Here’s the honest warning that matters more than any single app: the enemy of a fast, clean PC is software that insists on launching at startup and running in the background. Every launcher, updater, and “helper” that adds itself to startup steals a little boot time and memory. Install what you’ll actually use, then open Task Manager’s Startup tab and disable anything that doesn’t need to launch with Windows. A lean startup keeps your new build feeling as fast as the day you built it.
Useful utilities worth knowing about
- A monitoring/benchmark tool if you want to stress test or benchmark — like a well-regarded benchmarking suite.
- Backup software — set up an automatic backup routine early, before you have data you’d hate to lose. Windows has built-in options, and there are good free tools too.
- A media player like VLC, which plays essentially any audio or video file without hunting for codecs.
- PowerToys — Microsoft’s own free set of power-user utilities for Windows, with genuinely handy tools once you explore them.
What to skip
Be wary of “PC optimiser” and “driver updater” tools that promise to clean and speed up your system. Most range from useless to actively harmful, cluttering your PC with the exact background bloat you’re trying to avoid. Windows and your GPU app handle driver updates fine. Your new build doesn’t need “optimising” — it needs you to not install junk onto it.
The starter checklist
- Hardware monitoring (HWiNFO, and MSI Afterburner for an in-game overlay).
- Your preferred web browser, signed in.
- Your GPU’s control app (Nvidia or AMD).
- 7-Zip for handling all file archives.
- Your game launchers and chat apps — installed deliberately.
- A media player (VLC) and PowerToys for handy extras.
- Set up automatic backups early.
- Prune your startup apps, and skip the “optimiser” junk entirely.
A new PC is at its best when it’s clean and lean. Install the genuinely useful things, set up monitoring and backups, keep your startup tidy, and steer clear of the software that promises to help but only clutters. Do that, and your build stays as quick and responsive as the moment you first booted it.
Related guide: How to Install Windows 11