1. Start with the platform, not the model name
A processor model name does not tell you which motherboards it fits. The socket is the physical and electrical interface between the two, and the manufacturer publishes it. Establish the platform first, because the memory type and the cooler mounting both follow from it, and only then narrow the processor choice within that platform.
- Find the processor’s socket on its manufacturer product page, and write it down before anything else.
- Check that the motherboard’s product page lists the same socket; a listing that omits the socket is not a match.
- A shared socket is necessary but not sufficient: the BIOS section below covers the next layer of support.
- Use the builder to compare CPU and motherboard sockets from manufacturer documentation; the compatibility page explains what is and is not checked.
2. Check the memory type the platform uses
Memory slots are not universal. A board takes one memory type only, and a kit is sold for one type as well, so the two must agree before the machine starts at all. This is a specification match, not a preference: the memory types are physically and electronically different, and a kit of the wrong type will not work in the board.
- The processor’s product page lists the memory types the platform supports; note them down.
- The motherboard lists the memory type its slots take; a board takes one type only.
- Kits are sold by type (for example DDR5); do not buy a kit of a different type to the board.
- The builder compares memory type between a kit and a motherboard, so record both values exactly as the documentation writes them.
3. Confirm the motherboard supports the exact processor
A shared socket gets the chip into the slot; it does not guarantee the board can boot it. Motherboard makers publish a CPU support list for each board, and the list can grow over the board’s life. Support may also depend on a minimum BIOS version, because a newer processor might need an updated BIOS before the board recognises it at all.
- Find the motherboard manufacturer’s CPU support list for the exact board, and look for your exact processor model on it.
- Where the list states a minimum BIOS version, find out what version the board ships with and how an update would be done before the processor is installed.
- This site does not check BIOS support: it is listed under what is not checked on the compatibility page.
4. Decide whether you need integrated graphics
Integrated graphics matter in two situations: building the machine before a separate graphics card is fitted, or running a system with no separate card at all. The processor’s product page states whether it has integrated graphics, so this check is quick, but it changes what the rest of the build must provide.
- Check the processor’s product page to see whether it has integrated graphics.
- If it does not, you need a separate graphics card to get any picture at all.
- If it does and you plan to use it, the motherboard must have a video output; How to choose a graphics card covers the card side of this decision.
5. Plan the cooler
Every processor needs cooling, and whether a cooler arrives in the box depends on the exact package you buy. Cooler mounting is socket-specific: the cooler’s documentation lists the sockets it supports, and the case later sets a limit on how tall the cooler may be. Plan the cooler now, while the processor choice is still open.
- Check the product page or listing to see whether a cooler is included in the box; similar package names can differ here.
- A cooler must list the processor’s socket as supported in its documentation; treat a socket that is not listed as unsupported.
- Cooler and case clearance is a separate check; see Case and cooler clearance for the space it must fit into.
6. Compare cores and threads using documented figures
Core and thread counts are published by the manufacturer and are easy to line up side by side. They describe the hardware rather than the speed of a particular program, so they work as a filter, not a ranking. Compare them only between processors that have already survived the platform, memory and cooler checks above.
- Manufacturers list core and thread counts on the product page; compare them only between processors you are really choosing between.
- Counts do not measure speed in a particular program; for that, look for independent measurements of your own workload.
- The catalogue shows reviewed core and thread counts where we have read them in manufacturer documentation; the processor catalogue lists them per part.
7. Compare the exact model and the delivered price
Two listings can describe what looks like the same processor and still be different products: boxed and tray versions, different part suffixes, different included items. Only the full manufacturer part number settles the question. Once the model is pinned down, the price comparison should work on delivered totals and dates, not on headline figures.
- Match the full manufacturer part number: boxed and tray versions and similar names are different products.
- Compare delivered totals and dates, not headline prices; How to compare PC component deals sets out the method.
Sources and scope
This guide gives a checklist, not a product recommendation or a hands-on test. It relies on the specifications published by manufacturers, so always confirm details on the manufacturer’s product page for the exact model you are buying. Read how our guides are researched for the standard this site applies to all of its buying advice.