Gateway Parts

How to know if computer parts are compatible?

I am looking to build a computer from scratch. Also I have a lot of old computers that I want to take apart and try and make a decent one by combining all the crappy ones. Any how, how do I know if the mother board, graphics cards, cpu, ram, etc. are compatible with each other? Or are they all just universal? Will old parts work with newer ones? Thanks for any help!

Public Comments

1. The parts are not universal. Some processors only fit on certain motherboards, certain graphics cards fit on certain motherboards, etc. What I would do is find out what ports are on the motherboard first, then search the internet for parts compatible with those ports. Since you apparently had to have internet access to post this question, you should be able to do this.
2. The way you know is from experience. IDE drives are compatible with motherboards that have IDE sockets, SATA drives are compatible with motherboards that have SATA sockets. PCI cards work in motherboards with PCI slots. Etc., etc.