Data and measurements from our catalog, checked against each manufacturer's spec sheet.
- The CPU socket must match the motherboard socket: AM5 with AM5, LGA1851 with LGA1851. There are no adapters.
- Each motherboard takes a single memory type, DDR5 or DDR4, and modules of the other type won't fit the slot.
- The graphics card, cooler, radiator and power supply must fit in the case: compare their millimeters with what the case supports.
- The power supply must cover the draw with headroom and have the cables the graphics card needs (8-pin or 12V-2x6).
- A motherboard made before the CPU came out may need a BIOS update to recognize it.
1How do you know if your PC components are compatible?
A PC is compatible when every part physically fits with the others, gets the power it needs and is recognized by the motherboard. You don't need to know electronics: it's all on the manufacturer's spec sheet. Check these six things:
- CPU and motherboard: the same socket and a BIOS that recognizes that CPU.
- RAM and motherboard: the same type (DDR5 or DDR4) and a speed the board supports.
- Motherboard and case: the board's form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX) must be one the case supports.
- Graphics card and case: the card's length must be shorter than the free space in the case.
- Cooler, CPU and case: a mount for your socket, a height (or radiator) that fits and enough capacity for the CPU's heat.
- Power supply and the whole build: enough watts with headroom, the graphics card's cables and a length that fits the case.
If you pick your parts in the configurator, these checks run instantly on their own. Each rule is explained below, so you understand every warning and can check it yourself too.
2Socket: which CPU goes with which motherboard (AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)
The socket is the slot the processor sits in. Each CPU family uses one and only fits boards with that same socket: a Ryzen 9000 can't go on an Intel board or an AM4 board, and there are no adapters. Within the same socket, the board's chipset (B650, X870, Z890…) changes features like overclocking or the number of ports, but not which CPUs fit.
| Socket | Processors | Motherboard chipsets | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| AM5 (AMD) | Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 | A620, B650, B850, X670, X870, X870E | DDR5 only |
| AM4 (AMD, previous) | Ryzen 1000 to 5000 | A320, B450, B550, X570… | DDR4 only |
| LGA1851 (Intel) | Core Ultra 200 series (245K, 265K, 285K and the Plus models) | H810, B860, Z890 | DDR5 only |
| LGA1700 (Intel, previous) | 12th, 13th and 14th gen Core | B660, B760, Z690, Z790… | DDR4 or DDR5, depending on the board |
The one catch is the BIOS: a board made before a CPU came out may need an update to recognize it. That happens, for example, with some B650 or X670 boards and Ryzen 9000 chips. Many boards have a BIOS Flashback button that lets you update from a USB stick without a CPU installed; if yours doesn't, ask the store to confirm the version or check the CPU support list on the maker's website.
Our catalog has 11 CPUs and 23 AM5 boards, 5 CPUs and 12 LGA1851 boards, and 3 CPUs and 3 LGA1700 boards.
3DDR4 or DDR5: which RAM your motherboard takes
Each motherboard supports a single memory type. AM5 and LGA1851 boards are DDR5 only; AM4 boards are DDR4 only; and LGA1700 comes in both, so check the spec sheet (DDR4 models usually have “D4” in the name). DDR4 and DDR5 have the notch in a different spot, so a module of the wrong type won't go into the slot: don't force it.
Besides the type, check the speed. Each board lists the maximum MT/s it supports (in our catalog, between 6400 and 9500 MT/s). If the memory is faster than the board or CPU supports, it still works, but at the lower speed. And to reach the speed on the box you need to enable the XMP or EXPO profile in the BIOS; we explain it in the RAM guide.
Finally, if you use a large air cooler, check the module height: some kits with tall heat spreaders or lighting hit the cooler's fan. You'll find that measurement on the cooler's spec sheet (listed as “RAM clearance”).
4Will the graphics card fit in your case? GPU length and cooler height
Today's graphics cards are long: in our catalog they range from 189 to 348 mm. Every case lists the maximum GPU length it supports (in our catalog, from 355 to 580 mm). One important detail: if you mount a radiator or fans at the front, they take up room and the available length drops; many makers give both figures, with and without a radiator.
Also check:
- Air cooler height: it must be lower than the case's maximum cooler height. In our catalog, coolers stand 151 to 168 mm tall and cases allow 163 to 205 mm.
- Liquid cooler radiator: the case must support its size (240, 280, 360 or 420 mm) in the spot where you'll mount it, usually the top or front.
- Motherboard form factor: an ATX case takes ATX and Micro-ATX boards; a Micro-ATX case doesn't take ATX boards.
- Power supply length: in our catalog, power supplies measure 125 to 200 mm, and compact cases take shorter ones.
- Graphics card thickness: cards that take 3 or more slots can block other PCIe slots or sit right against the bottom fans.
5How many watts your power supply needs for your CPU and GPU
The power supply has to deliver what the build draws under load, plus extra for spikes. Our configurator works it out like this: it adds the CPU's TDP, the graphics card's power draw and about 85 W for everything else (motherboard, RAM, drives and fans); it adds 35% headroom to that total and rounds up to the next 50 W. If the graphics card maker asks for a bigger power supply, the maker's figure wins.
Example: a Ryzen 7 9800X3D + RTX 5070 draws about 455 W; with headroom that's 650 W, and the graphics card maker asks for 650 W, so the recommended power supply is 650 W.
Besides wattage, the power supply must have the graphics card's cables: smaller cards use one or two 8-pin connectors and the most powerful NVIDIA cards use a single 12V-2x6 connector. If the power supply doesn't have it, the card ships with an adapter, but an ATX 3.1 power supply with the native cable is better. All of this, with tables per card, is in the power supply guide.
6What the configurator checks (and what it doesn't yet)
The configurator instantly checks, using the measurements on each part's spec sheet:
- The CPU socket and the motherboard socket.
- The memory type (DDR4 or DDR5) and whether its speed is higher than the board supports.
- Power supply wattage with headroom, and the minimum power supply the graphics card maker asks for.
- The graphics card's cables: how many 8-pin connectors it needs or whether it needs a 12V-2x6 (or an adapter).
- Graphics card and power supply length, cooler height, radiator size and motherboard form factor against the case.
- Whether the cooler has a mount for your socket and enough capacity for the CPU's heat.
- Whether the fans fit the slots of the cases that have those slots measured.
It does not yet check which BIOS version each CPU needs, how many M.2 slots the board has or whether one shares lanes with another slot, RAM height against the cooler, or graphics card thickness. And some parts are missing data: 7 of the 66 graphics cards in the catalog don't have a verified length (that check is skipped and the sheet tells you) and 13 don't have a published power draw, so the calculation uses a generic figure: for those, go mainly by the power supply the maker asks for.
Treat it as a very thorough guide, but confirm the important things on the manufacturer's page before you buy.