BleepingComputer.com: Parts Compatibility

Is there anyone here aware of any online (or offline) tools that will help validate computer parts compatibility? I build computers for friends of mine - based on lists of components they give me - and validating them manually gets tiresome and I don't have a lot of time. Plus, even I miss some things.

The only thing I have seen are what appear to be cross referenced databases at places like gamepc.com. Where the customer can select a motherboard, and only compatible ram will be listed in the ram section. My assumption is that they post that ram to their database with a list of motherboards which it is compatible with, and/or vise versa. However, it will still let you pick more ram than what the board can be host to; i.e. it's not "really" checking the capabilities of the mobotherboard, only compatibleity based on a predefined list of parts. Plus, they [gamepc.com] only lists what they want to sell - mostly higher end stuff, and I like for my friends to be able to pick whatever they want within their budget.

I was just wondering if there were any other more robust tools out there to help in the validation process.

I'm guessing that's a "no", or very few people have seen one and they have not seen this post yet.

Maybe I should just make one myself.

Nobody? Wow, I figured at least one person here would be interested in this topic.

Am I the only one that would find use for such an application?

Motherboard have a cpu and memory compatibility lists on their respectable manufacturers web sites. Video cards it doesn't matter as long as the motherboard has the proper slots and the psu can handle it, unless your running a dual video card setup then ull need either a crossfire or sli motherboard and appropriate video cards. As far as power supplies, as long as they fit in the case and have the appropriate connectors and power requirements they'll work with most modern components. Hard drives are pretty universal as well.

umm, sorry, but I missed the point. If you're explaining the different concerns about component compatibilities, and the fact that we can look up scores of items on compatibility lists, then yeah, I get that. My question is there a program out there that will do it for you for a given list of parts.

You know how lots of folks post "Hey, can someone check my list for compatibility?" and then they post a list of parts. So, someone then takes 10 minutes or so checking interfaces, component requirements etc, and then offering their opinion on it.

Does a program exist that will do that for you?

I am not aware of any program that checks compatability.

I build a fair amount of systems, and I really don't see the purpose of a "compatability program". Each case, each build, is unto itself as far as what parts are "compatable". I tend to use 1.5V DDR3 1600 on about every build that requires DDR3. Is it compatable with all of the motherboards I have installed, no, but it works, runs cool and gives room for overclocking should the need arise. It is one of those things that is personal preference, and often not listed as "compatable", but it still works fine.

I think the real need is for something that tells you "these parts are non-comapatable"(like maybe for my bane----laptop memory). That would be useful. Everything else is just common sense- SATA hard drive/optical readers to SATA mobos, PCI-e, or PCI slot for expansion etc, enough room for expansion, does mobo BIOS support X processor etc. I think it would be faster/more helpful to google your components and find out what not to do vs what to do. A lot less options there.

If I missed the jist of the origional post, I apologize.

This post has been edited by dpunisher: 02 July 2011 - 04:37 PM

dpunisher, on 02 July 2011 - 04:34 PM, said:

You got the jist just fine, thanks. I see your point for an experienced builder. However, what about the novice? Like in the example I posted "Hey, please check out my build..." With something checking it programatically, they would save them selves time, maybe even learn a bit by tackling the incompatibilities themselves; if a program could point out such things that is.

mrfoxar, on 02 July 2011 - 04:50 PM, said:

I just don't see how that would work.

What specific incompatabilities are you checking for? (Thats my main question)

Its like the_patriot11 pointed out above, motherboard/memory makers have their own limited compatability lists, and everything else is just common sense and paying attention.

dpunisher, on 02 July 2011 - 05:28 PM, said:

I'm referring mainly to making sure all connectors are compatible, along with certain system requirements, like making sure I don't miss the fact that a video card requires a certain wattage power supply. Common sense doesn't always win, right? (Maybe that's what's happening with me right now? )

My point is this. Not everybody uses the same RAM, if they did, NewEgg wouldn't have 798 different sticks on their site right now. And there woudn't be 262 threads on this site dealing with questions of compatibility. So, instead of sifting through a list of parts that someone else came up with for incompatibilities, deficiencies, or for stuff that simply won't work with the selection of parts - you could just drop a list of part numbers in an app, and bingo, it tells you what won't fit, if there are enough slots/ports/plugs of xType to support, if certain minimum power, speed or version requirements are met, and on and on. Don't you think something like that would be cool?

Especially for someone who is building their first rig. They could at the very least produce a system that will work before asking someone else to take a gander - and I don't mean that it a negative way. I'm always willing to take a list of parts, it makes me money when I finally build what they want.

When you say you don't know how that would work, what do you mean exactly? Do you mean, how could a program check all those things? I admit, i'd be alot of data, all those interfaces, pins, versions, plugs, etc. But it can be done, I'm sure.

Again though, the motherboards have the compatibility list for the CPUs and the memory on their web sites-and theyre really, the most finicky parts about being compatible or not. The rest, is just a matter of looking at the component specs to see if you have the proper slots and power hookups/requirements/cables for it, for example if your computer has a PCI express x16 lane and a 650 watt antec PSU, and you want to put in say, a ATI 6850, any 6850 will work with it-regardless of whether its a saphire or a HIS, or a diamond, or any of the other gazillion brands. Now if you want to use 2 6850s in crossfire, its just a matter of looking to make sure your motherboard is crossfire enabled-which is listed in the specs-and that your PSU has the power requirements for it-which is often listed in the video cards specs and on the site.

So as far as building is concerned-the only two compatibility lists per say, are the memory and CPU lists on the motherboards web sites-the rest is just research. Personally, I do a lot of building, I Have my own little personal list of different brands that I Like to use, and when I do a build I Generally limit myself to that list. It makes life a lot simpler, so someone tells me they want a gaming rig with 8 gigs of ram, I will go through the gigabyte or ASUS boards on newegg, because those are my prefered brands, pick out the one that will suit the customers needs, and then I will go through the ram compatibility list looking for either Patriot, Corsair, or Muskin Ram-because theyre my prefered brands, and I choose the ram I need from there. Saves me a lot of time doing it that way.

mrfoxar, on 02 July 2011 - 05:52 PM, said:

Don't get me started on power supplies, or especially power supplies and videocards. I see lots of newbs running 750-850 watt PSUs with a little midrange Nvidia or ATI card that pulls 100 watts maxxed out. Same people are posting "Is it enough?"

The more I think about it, I do see your point. Realize my point of view though. Nevermind, the_patriot11 summed it up perfectly: "Personally, I do a lot of building, I Have my own little personal list of different brands that I Like to use, and when I do a build I Generally limit myself to that list. It makes life a lot simpler, so someone tells me they want a gaming rig with 8 gigs of ram, I will go through the gigabyte or ASUS boards on newegg, because those are my prefered brands, pick out the one that will suit the customers needs, and then I will go through the ram compatibility list looking for either Patriot, Corsair, or Muskin Ram-because theyre my prefered brands, and I choose the ram I need from there. Saves me a lot of time doing it that way."

I pretty much know what will go into a build. Newegg may have 798+ listings for RAM, but out of that there are maybe about a dozen that I will ever buy. Same thing for power supplies. More importantly, there is a lot I never have to worry about buying due to experience, or feedback from others I trust. With some experience, you find out what to trust, and what not to trust. It would be hard for any program to simulate that sort of experience/bias. A program may find what is compatable, but that's it. It won't know that XXX RAM works better with this chipset vs another brand of RAM eventhough everything is technically compatable.

As a general rule, I don't let others select specific parts for a build. It is not a hard rule, but more of a general guideline. Someone wants to get a low end MSI board with a 125 watt CPU, no name RAM, and hook it up to a Diablotek power supply, that just isn't going to happen. With rare exceptions, if someone is asking me to build them a system, they don't know enough in the first place to suggest parts. I am not totally adverse to customers having a parts list (hard drive size, CPU speed/performance, videocard performance etc). As long as someone has a budget, and an intended purpose for the rig, thats all I need to get started.

With all that being said, you will get bit in the ass once in a great while. My achilles heel is laptop RAM. I have had compatability problems more times than I can remember upgrading customers lappys. I got to the point where I never send back laptop RAM anymore, I just stockpile it because eventually it will work in someone's rig.

I really appreciate all the time both of you have put in to answering my questions.

If something like that were available to you, would you use it? Do you think it would save time? Do you think more people would attempt to build their own systems and/or get involved in the hobby/business of building computers with such a tool?

If you haven't figured it out already, I have built such a tool and I will be releasing an alpha version in the next couple of weeks. I apologize if my questions were a little misleading to hide that fact, but I needed to get some sincere opinions on such a tool from experienced builders without going straight to the "you've wasted your time" or "it will never work." responses. We almost got there, but I think we are somewhere in the middle of "meh" and "it could be cool".

I know one doesn't exist. I've looked high and low; for the last 4 or so years when I first came up with the concept of what I am really doing. More so in the last 18 months since I (and my project parner) started coding the project. However, I haven't come to any forums to ask the question as directly as I have here today for fear of convincing someone else to make the attempt. I did run accross a couple of forums where the idea had been entertained; but the threads appear to have died.

What I am doing is ultimately going to be far more that just a compatibility checker - but that's all I am saying about it for now. When I release the site to the public, I will post it here first.

Thanks again for your time and insight, you have been most helpful. Back to work...

It would be next to impossible to do a full compatibility check on all the various components out there-there are so many different combinations-literally hundreds, available to do so. As far as personal lists, like me and dpunisher has stated-we keep our own personal list of components that we know and trust, usually components that we have often used in the past that we know work exceptionally well. If such a list were out there, It may be useful to the novice builder-though again, it would take a lot of reading, when a simple google search would tell them that 2 ATI 6850s will not work on a SLI motherboard. (yes, Ive been asked that, multiple times) and such a list would be a lot of work to keep up to date, seeing as technology keeps updating. Its easier to simply keep up with the technology-then each individual component. Its easy to know hey, I have a SATA 2 motherboard, and a friend gave me a SATA 3 hard drive, are they compatible? well, simple answer is yes they are-I know that not because theyre on some list but because I know that SATA is forward and backwards compatible, regardless of what motherboard its on and what hard drive is being used, theyre all interchangeable.

The biggest thing I see a list handy, is the different components and power requirements, but even then many sites such as newegg have a power supply calculator that you can use to get a rough idea what kind of power supply you need to power a component. These are useful, like dpunisher, I find it amusing when these kids have a little dual core computer with a nvidia 9600 or ATI 3650, and have a 800 watt PSU thrown in, its such a waste of money. Sometimes, its with the goal of future proofing but often theyre on these little micro atx boards with no chance of upgradeability.

So honestly, if you ask me, its a nice idea but really not practical-a full comprehensive list of what will work with what would be a bit of a waste-the information is already out there-the memory and CPU is on the motherboard manufacturers web site, the video card requirements is on their site, and the PSU will vary depending on the setup and theres countless different combinations out there each with a different unique power output. and a basic list may be helpful to the general user, but there are several of those out there. sometimes, the best way to know if something will work is to ask.

That being said, if you have a good guide that youve been working on, then thats great Im sure it would be helpful to someone-knowledge is power, and I look forward to seeing what youve done-perhaps even offer advice if your wanting it.

We can help you put a brand list for each component so you can refer to it for future builds.

killerx525, on 03 July 2011 - 05:25 AM, said:

Thanks, but we currently have over 5,600 parts in our database.

To give everyone a better idea of what this engine does, I ran som model numbers through earlier today. This is what you will see for a typical list. Later, I'll show a system where some parts are not compatible. Keep in mind when I say compatible, I mean either the interface simply doesn't fit, or the system won't support it through lack of ports because other things are taking them up among other reasons. I'm at work right now, so I don;t have access to the engine. But when I do get back home, I'll show some more results.

Here is a typical Connection Results for a compatible system:Notice the model numbers to the left. I welcome you to look them up and validate my engine.

SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Attempting to connect P_Case
SGC-6000-KXN1-GP P_Case CONNECTED!

XPOWER780 Attempting to connect P_PowerSupply
XPOWER780 SGC-6000-KXN1-GP/P_Case std-ATX meets Form Factor requirements to support XPOWER780/P_PowerSupply
XPOWER780 P_PowerSupply has power.
XPOWER780 P_PowerSupply CONNECTED!

GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 Attempting to connect P_Motherboard
GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 Attempting to connect power to P_Motherboard
interface 20+4MAIN supports 24MAIN; Attempting to use 1 of 1 open interfaces.
GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 P_Motherboard has power.
GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 P_Motherboard CONNECTED!

BX80623I52500K Attempting to connect P_CPU
interface LGA1155 supports LGA1155; Attempting to use 1 of 1 open interfaces.
BX80623I52500K P_CPU CONNECTED!

F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL Attempting to connect P_RAM
F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL RAM does not exceed motherboard capacity
F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL GA-Z68X-UD5-B3/P_Motherboard Dual Channel meets RAM Channels requirements to support F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL/P_RAM
interface 240DDR3/2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 supports 240DDR3/1600; Attempting to use 2 of 4 open interfaces.
F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL P_RAM CONNECTED!

WD1500HLFS Attempting to connect P_InternalHD
interface internal/3.5 supports internal/3.5; Attempting to use 1 of 5 open interfaces.
interface SATA/3Gb/s supports SATA/3Gb/s; Attempting to use 1 of 4 open interfaces.
WD1500HLFS Attempting to connect power to P_InternalHD
interface 5SATA supports 5SATA; Attempting to use 1 of 4 open interfaces.
WD1500HLFS P_InternalHD has power.
WD1500HLFS P_InternalHD CONNECTED!

WD1500HLFS Attempting to connect P_InternalHD
interface internal/3.5 supports internal/3.5; Attempting to use 1 of 4 open interfaces.
interface SATA/3Gb/s supports SATA/3Gb/s; Attempting to use 1 of 3 open interfaces.
WD1500HLFS Attempting to connect power to P_InternalHD
interface 5SATA supports 5SATA; Attempting to use 1 of 3 open interfaces.
WD1500HLFS P_InternalHD has power.
WD1500HLFS P_InternalHD CONNECTED!

015-P3-1580-AR Attempting to connect P_VideoCard
interface PCIEx16/2.0 supports PCIEx16/2.0; Attempting to use 1 of 2 open interfaces.
015-P3-1580-AR XPOWER780/P_PowerSupply 600W meets Watts requirements to support 015-P3-1580-AR/P_VideoCard
015-P3-1580-AR Attempting to connect power to P_VideoCard
interface 6PCIE supports 6PCIE; Attempting to use 1 of 1 open interfaces.
interface 6+2PCIE supports 8PCIE; Attempting to use 1 of 1 open interfaces.
015-P3-1580-AR P_VideoCard has power.
015-P3-1580-AR P_VideoCard CONNECTED!

So you see, this is far from a simple parts list. Each part is literally connected to it's host component; provided both parts meet the requirements.

Hopefully this sheds a little more light on what I am doing.