Installing a GPU

[oodles2do]

I've got my PCS order built and in testing so hopefully it'll arrive mid next week. I've ordered it with no GPU and no OS and I've bought a second hand MSI GTX 970 for it. When it comes I'll obviously need to install it, I've not done this before but have seen some videos. It looks relatively easy but I have a few questions.

Should I put the GPU in before or after I initially install Windows? Or does it not matter? If I install the GPU before Windows should plug the HDMI directly into the GPU or will I have to put it into the motherboard first to access the BIOS and boot from usb?

Once I've got Windows up and running do I just need to install the appropriate drivers?

I plan on installed Ubuntu too, from a brief look online it seems it could be more problematic, I've already downloaded the Nvidia Ubuntu drivers so hopefully it's as simple as installing them.

Without the drivers installed will the GPU be able to give an output through HDMI?

Thanks!!

 

[Spuff]

Install the GPU before you install Windows.
Unless you motherboard is set up to use the CPU graphics the GPU will work and let you see everything you need to but you will have to install the NVIDIA driver to get full quality graphics once Windows has installed.
I don't know anything about Ubuntu.

 

[oodles2do]

Thanks for the reply! It should be simple with Windows then , I'm sure I can get it working with Ubuntu but I don't plan to game on Ubuntu to it's no big deal.