If you're upgrading your computer or building a new one from scratch, picking the right processor is all about knowing what type of motherboard you have. If you're upgrading your computer, chances are you'll have to either check out the owners manual, open your computer up, or do some searching online to find you what motherboard you have.

You need to know what motherboard you have because there are two limitations that will force you to choose a specific type of processor.

First there is the physical limitation: the socket type. Many processors have a different connector, often called the socket, that they fit into. A Socket A won't fit into a Socket 997 and so on. Of course, once you get past the first physical hurdle, you need to conquer the second technical hurdle.

Many motherboards may support a specific socket type, but will not support anything above a certain clock speed and number or cores. So, you need to check the manual or do some searching online to determine the maximum clock speed and the maximum number of cores your motherboard supports.

Once you've got those two hurdles down you've pretty much narrowed your search for a processor down to a specific range of products. From here you have two options: either you're going to set a budget and stay in that range, or you're going to get the fastest processor your motherboard can handle.

That's all there is to picking the right CPU. Just know your hardware!

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