Is choosing the right PC components that will fit - is it hard?

[stealthyexplosion]

Is choosing the right components for a PC build/upgrade a difficult thing to do?
For example, are there different sizes to one type of graphics card and processor that makes it harder to pick the right one?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Compatibility , specs , budget.

 

[Eximo]

Not that difficult with the right background knowledge.

pcpartpicker.com will take care of compatibility issues if you design your build there. Post it here for feedback to get suggestions.

Or, post a budget and many people here enjoy putting together the best build for the money.

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... Yes, and NO... it is a learning experience and things can go wrong... and really Wrong!!!
1) You can run into Video card length problems, with some cases, ( the hardrive Cage can interfere ).. You must search deep ( Manufacturer Web sites ), for the video Card length, to verify a fit. ( there are height differences too )
2) You must also check your Power Supply +24vdc current rating for proper power for higher end cards.
3) Most cards can also block access to your MB SATA port connectors, you might have to get some right angle SATA connectors to allow the card to sit in the PCIe Slot properly.
4) The type of Video card Cooling Fans used and Heat created can cause your Case to become a HOT BOX, and an extra case fan might be needed to vent it out your case.

 

[stealthyexplosion]

Compatibility , specs , budget.

I don't mean to talk about money here or how powerful a GPU or how fast CPU may be. I'm mostly talking about compatibility and upgrades. Like if a GTX780Ti 2GB will be compatible with Motherboard as much as a GTX780Ti 8GB. Speaking about that, do graphics cards come in different sizes? Will a Motherboard that was compatible with GTX780 last year be compatible with the recent GTX 970 and GTX 980? And is it necessary to get a new case and monitor unless dual cards and higher resolution is a problem?

 

[boosted1g]

There is no issue with motherboard/gpu compatability, there is a pci-e standard and they are all backwars compatibile. You can take a brand new gpu and put it into a 5 year old motherboard and it will work, or vice versa.

In a desktop PC (assuming you are talking about a builders case and not an OEM like Dell, HP, etc) there are many standars so there is only minor issues with fitment.
Boards come in 3 main sizes (form smallest to largest) ITX, mATX (m is micro), and ATX. Any ATX case will fit any of the boards, but if you get a mATX size case it will not fit a full ATX board.
The other main issue with fitment is GPUs, the more powerfull the GPU the longer the card probably is. You will need to make sure your case is deep enough for your card.

CPU has no measurement issues. What a CPU does have is different layout/number of contact pins. Different vendors and different gernerations of CPUs use a different socket (plastic piece that connects the CPU to the board), you just need to match he cpu to the socket. You can always go to the motherboard vendors website and see that baords supported cpu list.

 

[boosted1g]

As stated, if you use pcpartpicker.com the website has a compatibility filter so it will not let you choose incompatible parts, it also does price compare to many different vendors. It is hands down the best website for this purpose.