Compatibility

[Ololo]

would like to assemble a computer that meets the following; intel2.5ghz dual core processor, 160gb hdd(7200), 2gb ram ddr2, combo drive and nvidia9600 vga. problem is how can ensure all components are compatible. want to be able to play games like gta4 and call of duty- world at war with ease..? Thanks, Ololo

 

[Bolbi]

Compatibility shouldn't be too much of an issue with a system assembled with new parts. Things to watch for:
Processor socket must fit that of the motherboard. Probably for you, it will be socket LGA 775.
Check the motherboard (mobo) specs; it will use either DDR2 or DDR3 RAM.
Virtually any mobo you pick will have SATA connectors on it. Make sure you get a SATA hdd.
Optical drive can be either the older IDE interface or SATA (SATA recommended).
Finally, the nVidia 9600 should have a pci-express x16 or pci-express 2.0 x16 interface. Motherboard should have that too. (pci-e original and pci-e 2.0 are cross-compatible.)
Never played the games you mention, so I can't say how well this system would handle them. I would recommend 4GB of RAM, though, and a 250 or 320 gigabyte hdd. Finally, I'd recommend you purchase your components from Newegg. They give a ton of info about each component, so finding out what's compatible shouldn't be much of a problem there.
If you can list specifically what components you want to use (preferably model number) I can tell you if they are compatible. (No money-back guarantees; we're all human.)