Building PC for the first time but there's a "compatibility issue" with parts.

[losangelas]

I asked a friend to make a part list for a gaming desktop on PC part picker. At the bottom of the list it says "Some Intel H110 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Kaby Lake-S CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions."

I don't want to spend anymore money than I already have set aside for this and I'm not clear to what It means exactly...What do I do?

(I'm 100% new to everything PC so please respond as I'm like a little kid or something...Seriously I know nothing.)

 

[raisonjohn]

The H110 chipset motherboards came about during the release of the older 6th-gen Intel CPUs (i.e., the Skylake CPUs). What your friend specified for your CPU is the newer/latest 7th-gen Intel CPU (i.e., the Kaby Lake CPUs). When the Kaby Lake CPUs were released, new chipsets/motherboards (such as the B250, H270, among others) were also manufactured to support such 7th-gen CPUs out-of-the-box (including the older 6th-gen CPUs). The older motherboards (such as the H110, B150, H170, among others) required a BIOS update for the 7th-gen CPUs to work. Without the BIOS update, such older motherboards will not boot up.

However, since the release of the newer CPUs, some motherboard manufacturers also continued to make the older chipset. Therefore, there is a *chance* that some of these older-chipset motherboards made after the release of the Kaby Lake have an updated BIOS already out-of-the-box. But the only way to tell is to check with the manufacturer/supplier/retailer or test it yourself (risky as you can't boot it up if you don't have a Skylake CPU at hand).

You have several options to do:

OPTION 1:
Replace the H110 motherboard with a newer chipset B250 or H270 motherboard that will eliminate any chance of incompatibility with the Kaby Lake CPUs.

OPTION 2:
Use the H110 motherboard but change the CPU to a Skylake CPU, which will work out-of-the-box.

OPTION 3:
Use the H110 motherboard and the Kaby Lake CPU. If the mobo doesn't boot up, then get a very cheap Skylake CPU (the Celeron G3900 for about $40). Use it to temporarily boot up the H110 motherboard, upgrade its BIOS, plug in the Kaby Lake CPU and sell (or keep) the G3900 as you wish.

OPTION 4:
Ask the seller/retailer to check the BIOS version of the H110 you will buy. Have it updated in-store (or "borrow" a used Skylake CPU from them) if they can accommodate it to support the Kaby Lake CPU.

 

[losangelas]

You are a god. Thank you so much. And can you link me to where I can buy a B250 or H270 motherboard?

 

[raisonjohn]

You are a god. Thank you so much. And can you link me to where I can buy a B250 or H270 motherboard?

You're welcome!

Here are some B250 motherboard options to choose from: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#c=120&sort=price&page=1

Here are some H270 motherboards: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#c=121&sort=price

Note that the form factor (ATX, micro ATX, and mini ITX) matters on the size of the chassis you have.

Just click on each of the motherboards to show the prices and the stores you can buy them from (it's arranged already from lowest offered to highest).