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Read this bit first
- This checker covers the six traps that catch most people, not every possible conflict. It cannot know about a specific board's memory support list, a case's odd internal layout, or a cooler that fouls tall memory. Treat a clean result as "no obvious problem", not as a guarantee.
- Check the manufacturer's own specification page before you order. Every motherboard has a supported processor list and a memory compatibility list on the maker's site. Those are the final word, not this page and not a retailer listing.
- I do not list prices anywhere on this site, and processor and graphics card prices in particular move constantly. Always look on the day you buy.
- Building involves some risk. Static can damage components, forcing a part can break a socket, and a mistake may not be covered by warranty. If you are not confident, that is a perfectly sensible reason to ask someone.
- If you want the thorough version, PCPartPicker maintains a proper parts database with full compatibility checking and live prices. This page is the plain English explanation of what those warnings mean and why they matter.
Compatibility checker
Fill in what you are thinking of buying. Everything updates as you type, and each answer explains itself rather than just going red. Leave anything blank that you have not decided yet.
Fill in a few boxes above and the checks will appear here.
Putting it together
The order matters more than people expect. Doing the fiddly bits while the board is still out of the case saves a lot of swearing later. Set aside an afternoon rather than an hour, and do not do it on carpet.
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Get the board ready on the desk, not in the case
Put the motherboard on its own box. Fit the processor, the memory and the main drive now, while you can see and reach everything. Once the board is screwed into the case those same jobs are done blind, around cables, at an angle.
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The processor drops in, it never pushes
There is a triangle marked on one corner of the chip and a matching one on the socket. Line those up and it falls into place under its own weight. If you are applying any force at all, stop and look again, because bending pins is the one mistake that is genuinely expensive.
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Memory goes in the right pair of slots
With two sticks the board's manual will tell you which two slots to use, and it is almost never the two nearest the processor. Using the wrong pair halves your memory bandwidth and the machine will not tell you. Press each end down until the clips snap up on their own.
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Cooler on, and go easy with the paste
Most coolers arrive with paste already applied, so check before adding more. If you are applying it yourself, a blob about the size of a grain of rice in the middle is plenty. Tighten the screws a little at a time in a criss cross pattern rather than one at a time.
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Now into the case, standoffs first
Those little brass pillars hold the board off the metal tray. Fit them to match your board's holes before the board goes near the case, and make sure there is not a stray one where there is no hole, because that shorts the board out. Do not forget the input output shield if the board did not come with one attached.
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Power supply and cables
The big 24 pin connector and the separate processor power connector at the top of the board both need to be in, and that top one is the one people miss. Route what you can behind the tray. If the machine does nothing at all when you press the button, this is the first thing to check.
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Graphics card last
It goes into the top slot of that type, and it needs its own power cables from the supply. Fitting it last keeps it out of your way while you are reaching into the case.
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Test before you tidy
Before you spend twenty minutes on cable management, plug in a monitor and keyboard and turn it on. Get into the setup screen, check the memory and the drive both show up, and enable the memory speed profile, because otherwise fast memory runs slow. Only then close it up.
Parts on the table and nerves failing?
No shame in it, the processor step puts people off for good reason. I can build it with you so you understand what is inside it, or take the boxes and hand it back working. Either is fine.