compatibility referance?

[infinihydron]

hi guys, im a new member with what i hope isnt such an easy question its rather annoying.

see ive been looking and looking but i cant find anyplace here that gives an overveiw of what computer hardware company is compatable with other hardware companys. i know it seems silly but ive been looking at newegg.com and here and all i find are general guides that instruct you on what components you need to have a working machine. but with so many brands for all of this how do i know what works with what?

im not looking for easy answers, i really want to build my own computer and if somethings worth having its worth working for. but for the last hour and a half or so i feel like ive been running in circles trying to find discussions not on what hardware is best or more economical but rather how a beginner can find out if X cpu can be used for Y motherboard. i imagine it seems so obvious to more expeiranced builders but goodness am i lost!

perhaps ive been blind in searching?

thanks all that take time to help, i value your imput!

[shadowpr]

The first thing you wan to do is look at the socket type.

An example would be 775. Both the motherboard and processor must have the same type. After that, you can look at the motherboard manufactureers page to see if the processor is support by that particular board.

You can usually look at the specs on newegg for the board and it will tell yo a type of processor, and the fsb, and then you can match that to the processor itself, but the best bet is to look at the boards website and look at the compatibility chart.

[not important]

Also, if you post what your neds in a PC are............some suggestions could be made.