Still, technically you don’t need a Windows 10 key to use your rig. Linux is a great and open-source operating system (OS) that you could choose to run your gaming PC on instead—it’s actually surprisingly easy to switch a gaming PC to Linux, too.

Does a gaming PC need an operating system?

If you’re building your own gaming computer, get ready to also pay to purchase a license for Windows. You won’t put together all the components you buy and magically have an operating system show up on the machine. … Any computer you build from scratch is going to require that you purchase an operating system for it.

Do I need to buy Windows 10 when building a PC?

One thing to remember is that when you build a PC, you don’t automatically have Windows included. You’ll have to buy a license from Microsoft or another vendor and make a USB key to install it.