Getting a new computer, especially building one yourself, is very exciting. But, there is quite a lot to know to get the best performance. Having built a few PCs myself, and bought a few new computers over the last few years, in this article I will explain if you need an OS for a gaming PC.
You need an operating system (OS) for all gaming PCs. If you have an existing version of Windows you can keep the license and upgrade free of charge to Windows 11, with lifetime updates.
Windows is the most popular operating system overall AND for gamers for a few reasons. Below, I will explain in detail how to know:
As well as, detailed stats about which OS is the most popular, why this is, and what the best OS is for a gaming PC, and why.
Do You Need To Buy Windows For a New PC?
Windows has changed over the years. But, since the beginning, if you have a license for Windows you can upgrade to the newest editions of Windows whenever it is released.
There are 2 potential ways you can get a new computer. Here are two tables that show if you need an OS to run it, and if it comes with an OS.
| Way of buying a new computer | Do you need an OS to run it? |
| Pre-built (full laptop or desktop computer) | Yes. |
| Building a PC yourself (buying individual components) | Yes. |
Here’s whether each way of buying a new computer comes with an operating system free with it or if you need to buy it separately.
| Way of buying a new computer | Do you need to buy the OS? |
| Pre-built (full laptop or desktop computer) | No. |
| Building a PC yourself (buying individual components separately) | Almost always no. Sometimes, yes. |
Almost everyone will have an existing license for Windows. As most people have owned a computer in the past.
You can keep this existing Windows license and upgrade it free of charge to Windows 11 on your new computer. The same is true for the far less used, but well liked Mac computers such as Macbook.
But, with a pre-built computer – like a laptop – it will always come with a free Windows license. And have Windows 11 already installed on it. It will free forever and you don’t need to pay any subscription to keep it.
All pre-built computers come with an operating system. Windows is by far the most popular operating system. And latest data has shown that roughly 75% of all computers use Windows.
Over the past 10 years, the amount of computers running Windows has reduced from 90% to 75%. If the current trend continues Windows would be used by 60% of users by 2033.
Read more >> Why is Linux not popular
Windows is by far the best option for a gaming PC, because it has a wider range of games, and far less bugs and issues. The reason is that it has fewer bugs and issues. This is because there are more people using Windows. So, any issues are identified, and fixed faster.
How to know if you have an existing license for Windows
You have an existing license for Windows if you had a computer before that was running Windows. It can be any version of Windows such as Windows 10, or 7. If it’s your first computer, then you won’t have an existing license.
Windows licenses are also only for one computer at a time. The best resource is to use the free tools, and info on the official Microsoft website. You can use the wizard on the official Microsoft website. It will ask you a bunch of questions to identify if you need to buy Windows.
Another key consideration can be Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint). There are a few options. For gamers, typically using the online only free version of Microsoft Office is the best option.
Read more >> Does Microsoft Office come with Windows
It works the same way as Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentation. Either are fine to use. It’s a matter of personal preference.
Do you need to buy Windows 11
You only need to buy Windows 11 if you have never bought a Windows license before. Or, if you have never owned a laptop or desktop computer that has Windows on it – that you still have access to.
For example, if you purchased a computer that had Windows 10 on it, it will have an existing license for WIndows that can be used to get Windows 11.
The one license you have will also allow you to download Windows 12 – or the name for the new edition of Windows – free of charge when it comes out in approximately 5 years.
Best OS for a gaming PC and why
Here’s a table that shows which OS is the best for a gaming PC with the reasons why:
| Operating system (OS) | How good it is for gaming | Why |
| Windows (all versions) | Best | Widest range of gaming titles. Best support. |
| MacOS | Decent | Fairly wide range of games available. Decent support. But far fewer users – so not as good as Windows. |
| Linux | Not recommended | Supports many of the most popular gaming titles. But, far fewer than Windows. Also, has far less support |
The bottomline reason why Windows is the best for a gaming PC is:
It has the most active users by far
This is not a reason by itself. But, it means there is far more support and resources put into games for Windows compared to the other operating systems.
It makes the most sense for game developers to put the most time into the Windows version of their game. Because the vast majority of gamers use it.
Do You Need To Buy an OS When Building a PC
You do need to buy an operating system (OS) when building a PC. But, only if you have never owned a computer with Windows before. Windows is sold as a one-off license.
This one license gives you free updates for Windows, and updates to the Windows editions. For example, if you have bought a computer with Windows 10, it includes a free license for Windows.
You can use that same license to install Windows 11 on a new computer. But, you can only have a Windows license activated on one computer at a time.
Typically, when building a new PC, it’s best to use your existing Windows license. Unless your old computer broke, or you want to continue using it – fairly often. In which case you should buy an additional license for your new PC build.
Which OS is Used the Most on PC
Data from Statista.com and Microsoft states that all computers worldwide the use the following operating systems:
| Operating System | Percentage of all computers | Number of users worldwide |
| Windows (all versions) | 74.14% | 1.4 billion |
| MacOS | 15.33% | 280 million |
| Linux (all distributions/versions) | 2.91% | 55 million |
Below, is a screenshot showing this data:
After researching this topic in depth, the key reason why is that Windows comes pre-installed on almost every new computer. And Windows computers are used far more widely in an office, school, and university environment.
There is also no compelling reason to change the operating system on a computer with Windows. Due to the fact that Windows works very well, and almost everyone is familiar with it.