Frequently asked questions
What is RAM compatibility, and why does it matter?
RAM compatibility depends on three main factors: generation (DDR4 vs DDR5 — physically different slots), speed (your motherboard's QVL specifies tested frequencies), and capacity (some CPUs cap total addressable RAM regardless of slot count). Mixing RAM sticks of different speeds forces all sticks to run at the lowest speed. ECC (error-correcting) RAM requires explicit CPU and motherboard support.
Will any GPU work in any PCIe slot?
Physically, any modern GPU (PCIe 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0 x16) fits in any PCIe x16 slot and is backwards/forwards compatible — a PCIe 4.0 GPU runs fine in a PCIe 3.0 slot at reduced bandwidth. The practical limits are power delivery (PSU wattage and the correct PCIe power connectors), physical card length fitting the case, and CPU bottlenecking. There are no driver-level incompatibilities between AMD/NVIDIA GPUs and Intel/AMD CPUs.
How do I know if a CPU is compatible with my motherboard?
CPU compatibility depends on socket type (e.g., LGA1700 for Intel 12th-14th gen, AM5 for AMD Ryzen 7000 series) and BIOS support. A newer CPU in a supported socket may still require a BIOS update before the board recognises it. Always check the motherboard manufacturer's CPU support list (often called a QVL or compatibility matrix) for your specific board revision.
Can I mix NVMe and SATA SSDs in the same system?
Yes — NVMe (M.2 or PCIe) and SATA SSDs can coexist in the same system without issues. Some motherboards share PCIe lanes between M.2 slots and SATA ports, so populating certain M.2 slots may disable one or two SATA ports. Check your motherboard manual's M.2 / SATA bandwidth-sharing table before planning your storage layout.