compatability

[Mulderizer]

In the near future I will be attempting to build my own computer. I've never done it before. How can I tell if a CPU is compatabile with a motherboard?

I plan on getting an ASUS P4P800 SE and I would like to go with a P4 3.0 GHz CPU. However, there different versions like 3.0E or 3.0C. I don't understand what those mean.

Can anyone give me any good websites that provide very good explanations on computer hardware for novices? The best I can find are sites that tell me what each component does but they don't really elaborate. I've searched Anandtech but haven't come up with anything other than news and the future. I need to find a good place to start.

 

[imported_Computer MAn]

The C and E are the different cores that they use in the processor. The C is the Northwood with a 512 k cache and the E is the Prescott with a 1 mb cache. If you can find a C version I would go with that as the Prescott runs hotter than the Northwood. Both versions will work with that motherboard. To tell if the motherboard will work with the processor just look at the socket # and if they match they will work.

 

[Navid]

You can go to this ASUS web page and enter the motherboard model and see what type of CPUs it supports.
http://www.asus.com/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

I checked P4P800 SE.
It says that all PCB versions support both. It says that all bios versions support 3.0C. But, 3.0E is supported by bioses since versoion 1003. So, if you chose to go with 3.0E, you will have to make sure that the motherboard comes with a bios version of 1003 or later. Othewise, you may not be able to boot to flash the bios.