Whether you want to update and improve your PC, or when you want to choose the parts for a new computer, it is very important to check the compatibility between the individual parts. In particular, in computers, there are three hardware parts that require particular attention: The processor or CPU, the motherboard or MOBO (which stands for Motherboard) and the RAM memory .
Unfortunately, due to the hardware manufacturers of PCs, almost all motherboards are designed to support only one type of RAM and CPU, thus limiting the choice and updating capabilities regarding the replacement of the pieces.
The verification of hardware compatibility between CPU, RAM and motherboard is therefore an obligatory step when making hardware purchases for the PC
Although it is not possible to see all the possible hardware combinations for computers here, what is important is to know how to check if a certain model of RAM or CPU is compatible with a certain motherboard and to know which models are available.
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CPU and motherboard compatibility
As far as processors are concerned, the compatibility issue is quite complex.
Meanwhile, there are two main CPU manufacturers: Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices).
Although there are differences between Intel and AMD CPUs, both offer a wide range of CPU models with different speeds and capacities .
Obviously the two brands of chips are completely incompatible from the hardware point of view and always require different motherboards.
So if you have a computer with an AMD CPU, you cannot make a replacement with an Intel CPU without also changing the motherboard and, for the same reason, if you choose to buy a computer with an Intel processor, you will have to look for the right motherboard .
Furthermore, to complicate matters, even the processors of the same brand may be different from each other for the socket, that is the connection or socket with which they connect to the MOBO.
Both Intel and AMD use different attacks for different classes of processors and if a motherboard can be compatible with one, it is not said that it is compatible with another.
For example, if the motherboard has an Intel LGA1366 socket, it is impossible to use a Core i7 chip of the latest model which requires an LGA2011 socket because the old 1366 pin socket cannot physically host the new 2011 pin chip.
Socket compatibility for motherboard, CPU and RAM memory
Different processors require different types of memory and this is also a fact that can complicate things.
Older computers typically use Double Data Rate 3 or DDR3 memory (difficult to have a PC so old as to have DDR2 RAM), which is very different from the newer and more expensive DDR4 RAM.
The CPUs are generally optimized to work with one type of memory or another and since the attack is really different, it is impossible to mount a DDR3 RAM memory on a DDR4 attack and vice versa.
This means that if you buy a new PC with a motherboard that supports DDR3 RAM, the DDR3 that we had on the old computer we can also take them to the cellar.
Furthermore, even within the same family (i.e. DDR3 or DDR4), different RAM modules differ in the memory clock speed expressed in MHz.
So what you need to check are:
- the specifications of the RAM memory to know its maximum speed
NOTE: If the RAM supports overclocking (SPD) profiles, the maximum speed can be increased if the motherboard supports XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) technology to activate them automatically.
- The motherboard specifications to check that the RAM speed is supported
- The processor specifications, to check which maximum frequency is supported.
For example, if the processor supports a maximum of 2400 MHz, it will be useless to buy faster RAM.
The question of RAM speed, however, is not vital for the choice of components and can also be ignored unless there are particular needs (such as playing video games in maximum graphic detail).
READ ALSO: What is the RAM of your computer for and what is it
Finally, before buying or before updating a computer, it is always advisable to check the PCPartKeeper site, which is the most reliable on the web for comparing hardware parts and finding compatibility.
On this site you can enter the model name of a processor or RAM to find out which motherboards are supported and vice versa, always creating compatible combinations.
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