Lesson 4: Compatibility Lab

Core path: 42 minutes

Today you stop evaluating components one at a time.

You are going to prove whether a motherboard, CPU, and RAM configuration belongs together.

Your evidence set

For each assigned system, you need:

• motherboard form factor;
• CPU socket;
• supported processor family;
• installed or proposed RAM type;
• DIMM/SODIMM form;
• DDR generation;
• slot population plan;
• cooling requirement;
• one firmware or POST verification step.

Lab procedure

Step 1: Identify the board

Record the motherboard model or provided reference profile.

Do not start with the CPU.

The motherboard defines the platform boundary.

Step 2: Verify the processor

Check:

• socket match;
• supported family/generation;
• cooling compatibility;
• CPU power requirement.

Mark the processor as compatible, incompatible, or needs verification.

Step 3: Verify memory

Check:

• DDR generation;
• DIMM or SODIMM type;
• capacity support;
• correct slot population.

Again, record evidence instead of guessing.

Step 4: Inject one bad component

Your teacher or scenario provides one incompatible choice.

Your job is to find it before installation.

Possible failures include:

• wrong CPU socket;
• wrong DDR generation;
• laptop memory for a desktop board;
• unsupported capacity;
• wrong population order;
• cooler incompatible with the socket.

Step 5: Build the compatibility record

Use this structure:

Troubleshooting rule

If the configuration fails, change one variable at a time.

Do not reseat RAM, replace the CPU, reset firmware, and change power connections all at once. That destroys your evidence trail.

Success criteria

Your lab is complete when another student can use your record to answer:

1. Why should this CPU work with this board?
2. Why should this RAM work with this board?
3. Which component was intentionally incompatible?
4. What exact evidence exposed the mismatch?
5. What would you verify during POST after assembly?