From a parts list to your first game on the TV

Finish the hardware and OS decisions before writing an installer. This guide is a preparation and first-boot checklist for a dedicated gaming PC. It summarizes the official installation paths; it is not a claim that CouchRig has tested every configuration.

If you have not chosen an operating system, start with SteamOS or Bazzite. Check your parts in the build planner, then keep the documentation for your motherboard beside you.

Before either installation

Back up anything you need from the destination drive and verify that the backup opens. Writing an installer erases the chosen USB drive; a wipe-and-install operation erases the destination drive. Identify both drives by model and capacity before continuing.

Have a keyboard, mouse, display and an internet connection available. Save the relevant support instructions somewhere you can read them while the gaming PC is restarting. For a machine with an existing OS, record its recovery information and read the chosen OS's dual-boot instructions before changing partitions or firmware settings.

SteamOS: follow Valve's current recovery path

Valve's instructions call for a USB drive of at least 8 GB. Download the image through its support page and use the listed image-writing tool for your current OS. Boot that USB through the motherboard's boot menu; desktop PCs use their manufacturer's instructions rather than the Steam Deck button sequence.

Valve notes that Secure Boot may need to be disabled on other hardware to boot the recovery media. Follow the instructions for your device and understand the effect on any existing installation first.

In the recovery desktop, the wipe-and-install option replaces the destination installation. Proceed only when you have identified the intended drive and preserved its data. Restart into the welcome experience afterward. AMD desktop compatibility remains distinct from officially Powered by SteamOS hardware. Valve's complete instructions and support boundary

Bazzite: select the image for your hardware

Bazzite's guide calls for a USB drive of at least 16 GB. Its download selector asks about your hardware, GPU and preferred interface. Follow the current guide to write the image, boot the installer, choose the destination disk and finish installation. Use its dedicated instructions if you need Windows dual boot or Secure Boot enrollment. Bazzite's complete installation guide

Complete the distribution's first-run setup and updates before judging the finished experience. Bazzite post-installation setup

Your first evening on the couch

Start with one familiar game. Check the display resolution, refresh rate and audio output before adjusting graphics settings. Connect the controller and verify that you can launch, play and exit the game from your seat.

Then test the things a desk benchmark misses: restart the PC, reconnect the controller, try sleep and resume, and make sure sound returns to the TV. Test Wi-Fi and Bluetooth where the case will actually sit. Record any failure with the hardware model, OS version and steps that reproduce it.

When sharing performance, include resolution, preset, upscaling and the scene you ran. If a setting or measurement is unknown, leave it unknown. Those details make your experience useful to the next builder.