Question Can I install Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux first and add GPU later?

[anandtechreader]

Hi, my GPU has not arrived yet. Can I install Windows 10 and Linux in a DIY PC first and then put the GPU in later? Will I mess up the OS and will they consider the same PC but with the addition of a new card to be another PC?

 

[JackMDS]

From a point of View of Activation, if Win 10 is legally activated, changing a Video card would Not be a problem, Win 10 would probably adjust Auto the Video drivers too.

On the Linux side make sure that whatever video card you buy have drivers available fot it.

 

[anandtechreader]

Thanks. I am waiting for my Nvidia RTX 2080 card to arrive. I think Nvidia has linux driver for it. The card will arrive 3-6 days later. If you were me, would you wait or just go ahead and at least install Win 10 first? My Z390 motherbord has iGPU in it. If I go ahead and install Windows 10 without the gpu, during installation of Windows, should I delay the activation until I have the card installed?

 

[JackMDS]

If you are worried about it you can ignore the activation of WIn 10. Without Activation Win 10 would work OK. The aspect that can not be controlled without Activation are secondary and the computer woulds work OK with Win 10 for the period that you indicated.

As for Linux, this page has some useful info.

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=nvidia-rtx2080-linux&num=1

 

[anandtechreader]

Thanks JackMDS.