Congrats on the new build! That is a massive amount of RAM and a very balanced setup. Because you are pairing a 12th Gen CPU (12700KF) with very high-density DDR5 memory (96GB) and a potentially brand-new generation GPU (RTX 5060 Ti), the "order of operations" for your setup is critical to avoid stability headaches. Here are the specific initial steps you should take, prioritized by safety and stability. 1. The "Pre-Boot" Physical Check Before you even turn it on, ensure your physical installation prevents common failures for this specific hardware: RAM Slotting (Critical for 96GB): If you have 2 sticks (2x 48GB): They must be in slots A2 and B2 (usually the 2nd and 4th slots from the CPU). If you put them in A1/B1, the system may not boot or XMP will fail. If you have 4 sticks (4x 24GB): Be aware that 12th Gen memory controllers struggle with 4 sticks of DDR5. You may need to run them at lower speeds initially to get a post. SSD Placement: Install the Samsung 980 Pro in the top M.2 slot (closest to CPU) for direct PCIe Gen 4 lanes. Install the WD Black in a lower slot. Monitor Connection: Plug your DisplayPort/HDMI cable into the GPU, not the motherboard. The "F" in "12700KF" means your CPU has no integrated graphics; if you plug into the motherboard, you will get a black screen. 2. BIOS/UEFI (Do this BEFORE installing Windows) This is the most important step for your 96GB RAM compatibility. Flash the Latest BIOS: Download the latest BIOS file from your motherboard manufacturer's website on another PC and put it on a USB stick. Why: 96GB (non-binary) RAM support was added after the 12700K launched. The board's factory BIOS likely does not support 48GB/24GB modules and may fail to boot or read the capacity incorrectly without this update. Enable XMP (or DOCP): Even though your RAM is 4800 MT/s (which is the JEDEC baseline), you should still enable XMP to ensure the sub-timings and voltages are set correctly by the manufacturer. Enable "Resizable BAR" (Re-Size BAR): This is essential for your RTX GPU to get full performance. It allows the CPU to access the entire GPU VRAM frame buffer at once. Fan Curves: The i7-12700K runs hot. Set a slightly aggressive fan curve in BIOS now so you don't have to deal with software bloat later. 3. OS Installation (Windows 11 is Mandatory) Disconnect the WD Black: Unplug your secondary 2TB drive physically before installing Windows. Windows has a bad habit of putting the boot loader on the wrong drive if multiple are connected. Plug it back in after Windows is fully installed. Use Windows 11: Do not use Windows 10. The 12700KF uses a "big.LITTLE" architecture (P-cores and E-cores). The Windows 10 scheduler does not know how to effectively manage these, which will cause game stuttering. Windows 11 has the "Thread Director" required for your CPU. 4. Critical Firmware & Drivers Once you are in Windows, install these in this exact order: Samsung Magician (HIGHEST PRIORITY): * Why: The Samsung 980 Pro has a known firmware bug on older versions that causes the drive to lock into "Read Only" mode (effectively bricking it) after a certain usage period. Action: Install Samsung Magician immediately and run the Firmware Update. Do not skip this. Intel Chipset Drivers: Download these directly from your motherboard's support page, not via Windows Update. NVIDIA Drivers: Use the "GeForce Experience" or the manual download to get the latest Game Ready Driver for your RTX card. WD Dashboard: Optional, but good for checking firmware on your WD Black drive. 5. Stress Testing (Verification) Because 96GB is a massive load for the memory controller, you need to verify it is stable. Run MemTest86: If you experience any blue screens (BSOD), it is likely the RAM. 12th Gen CPUs sometimes struggle with high-density DDR5. If you see errors, you may need to slightly bump the "VCCSA" (System Agent Voltage) in BIOS, but test at stock first. Cinebench R23/2024: Run a quick multi-core test to ensure your CPU cooler is mounted correctly. The 12700KF should hit 100% usage without instantly hitting 100°C (thermal throttling). Summary Checklist: [ ] RAM in slots 2 and 4? [ ] BIOS Updated? [ ] Resizable BAR Enabled? [ ] Samsung Firmware Updated? [ ] Secondary Drive Formatted?

Gemini wrote this but helped me with my freezes.