Installing win8 on a newly build PC that have no current OS

In my experience formatting an HD or SSD for Windows 8 can be a huge pain in the ass. For one Windows 8 uses a new filing system called MBR where before it used the same FAT 32 system that's been in place since Windows 95. In order to properly format an SSD for Windows 8 you need to remove any and all existing partitions to the drive then format it from scratch. It should work then but I can't exactly guarantee it. I've had better luck installing Win 7 first, then Win 8.

Trick is to install W8 to a drive which has no partitions at all, ie Unallocated space. Use Drive Options (Advanced) during install to remove all partitions by deleting them until all you have left is 'Unallocated Space' then proceed with installation. Windows then creates it's own 350Mb System Partition which it can't or won't if you have pre-existing partitions.
Recommend SSD Review guide for optimising your SSD.
http://thessdreview.com/ssd-guides/optimization-guides/the-ssd-optimization-guide-ultimate-windows-8-edition/

Installing Windows 8 is more streamlined than Windows 7. You do not want to use Fat32, use NTFS. You will be guided through the proper steps once you boot to the Windows 8 installation disk. To second what dodger46 said, installing to a blank SSD or a blank HD is the easiest way to go. If not, you can easily delete the contents of the drive before installation.

They're applied automatically, but you can force the issue by typing Update at your Start Screen and choosing Check For Updates from Settings. All updates will be downloaded and installed if you choose to do so, gets it out of the way! After that you'll be presented with the Browser Choice screen as usual, but if you choose Ie it will start the version on the Start Screen which is different to the normal Desktop version. All you need to do is go to the Start Screen and Rt click the Ie tile and choose 'Pin to Taskbar'
Like photonboy, I've had no real bad issues with 8, and it installs faster than any other Windows OS to date

Browser choice screen? Only for the European Union, I believe.

The updates are the same pain they always were, easily ignored until such time as you get around to installing them, however if you make it a point to do it yourself at least once a month, you may find you've avoided an unnecessary, unplanned reboot of the system.

Like the previous posters, the only issues I've experienced using Windows 8 are from poorly coded programs, and that's not the fault of Windows.

Hi,
Since you said you were somewhat NEW to gaming PC's I created the following for you to ADD to my above main comment then PRINT the entire thing for reference. I think you'll find it handy in the future especially if a copy is on paper. Most questions can be answered by GOOGLE or Wikipedia. Cheers:

STEAM:
Since you built a gaming PC and are using an SSD I should add a few comments:

1. Install STEAM to your secondary HARD DRIVE (i.e. "E:/STEAM")
2. Install non-Steam Games to your secondary hard drive (i.e. "E:/GAMES")
3. *Once STEAM has been installed it will automatically install the games. For non-Steam games you'll need to manually assign a location during setup. (I.. "E:/GAMES/Crysis1"). I also have ORIGIN installed. It installs like a normal program but the games location has to be setup in Origin's settings and I used "E:/GAMES/ORIGIN" and then it's automated after that.

STEAM points:
1. You can assign FAVORITES to games and just show them (handy if you own lots of games)
2. WAIT for Steam sales (I never buy a game new. Games drop in price, get bundled with DRM and usually have a few patches applied. I bought Oblivion GOTY for $15 for example.)
3. You can MOVE your entire Steam folder if need be, or reinstall Windows and setup Steam again WITHOUT RE-DOWNLOADING all your games. You can Google the procedure if need be.

4. You can BACKUP GAMES to save space, then RESTORE from the backup (either on hard drive or copied to DVD).
5. You can have a SECOND STEAM FOLDER (I have an SSD for the few games that really benefit such as Skyrim due to the constant loading).
6. You can MOVE GAMES between Steam folders (i.e. BACKUP Skyrim, DELETE the local content for Skyrim, then RESTORE Skyrim but choose the 2nd Steam folder on the SSD instead).

7. You can VERIFY game content for any game if it gets buggy or won't start etc. (You can Google that but it's easy.)

*EXAMPLE DRIVE SETUP*
(Don't forget to OVERPROVISION and apply FIRMWARE updates to SSD's)

Drive #1: SSD
(Windows and applications)

Drive #2: Hard Drive (2 or 3TB)
- *Backup IMAGE of Windows SSD
- STEAM and other game folders
- MEDIA files
- Downloads (I download to the SSD first to avoid hard drive spinup)

Drive #3: SSD
I use this for games like SKYRIM that have lots of loading due to jumping around the MAP a lot. Most games really don't benefit much from an SSD and due to the cost, I don't generally recommend an SSD for gaming to most people. I never recommend installing games on the main Windows SSD.

I've been TESTING what games work better on SSD and it's a fairly short list. While ALL GAMES do benefit a little (mainly the initial LOAD) very few make it worth the expense. You can actually buy a SMALL SSD for just a couple games and just MOVE a game over from STEAM as I describe (the SAVES are usually on C-drive and moving doesn't require restart). You can try playing a game on HARD DRIVE, then move to SSD to see if it benefits. If you're on a BUDGET, put that money elsewhere though. Perhaps an inexpensive 60GB SSD on sale to play around with?

OTHER:
1) *Make periodic backup IMAGES of your SSD (Windows IMAGE or better yet Acronis True Image. I use the full version but for Western Digital drives you can download a FREE version which works great to make a COMPRESSED backup of your Windows SSD).

If possible, once you ACTIVATE WINDOWS, install the main drivers, programs and Microsoft Updates finishes:

CREATE A BACKUP IMAGE and ALWAYS keep this first backup. This is in case a virus or other issues creeps in later. You'll always have a backup you can easily restore without having to reinstall Windows completely.

2) Setup POWER OPTIONS, including Hard Drive Standby (i.e. 30 minutes)

NVIDIA (if relevant):
GAME TWEAKING:
(don't use Geforce Experience. You can install it but don't allow it to change your game settings. It assigns settings based on gaming at 40FPS. That MAY appeal to you as a compromise, but most people with good gaming PC's usually tweak to game at 60FPS VSYNC'd). For example:
1. Run FRAPS and game
2. Turn VSYNC OFF in game if possible.
3. TWEAK game quality settings until FRAPS displays over 60FPS (most of the time)
4. Turn VSYNC ON again
(Now your game should mostly run at 60FPS, with VSYNC ON to prevent screen tearing).

*Investigate NVidia's "Adaptive VSYNC". I like the concept (If you drop below the VSYNC threshold it turns VSYNC OFF to avoid the resync at HALF the refresh rate such as 30FPS and the sudden stutter this causes), however it appears to cause pre-rendered CUT SCENES to have SCREEN TEARING (Since cut scenes are usually 30FPS, Adaptive VSYNC disables VSYNC that normally would be working so now we have screen tearing during these video sequences. Hopefully that'll be fixed.).

NVidia SHADOWPLAY:
Coming soon.
Streaming/copying of game video/audio (GTX600/700 series graphics cards using the NVENC hardware decoder).

Really? Not sure if that's an advantage or disadvantage... I thought the Browser monopoly decision to give a choice was applied universally, seems not across the pond then!

Americans apparently don't need to be given a choice, at least according to our government, and I'm glad. I don't want my government or any government forcing their pointless, high-tech hands-holding down my throat.

Besides, browsers are products that come and go. What may be relevant on a browser selection screen may be obsolete the next time I install Windows. I will pass on that too.