[header] How to check compatibility when building a computer [title] Confirm your motherboard supports the amount of ram you bought. [step] Some older motherboards don't support more than 8 or 16 gb of ram. [title] Check the type of ram that you need. 
[step] It may seem universal, but it is not. The easiest way to check it is to see which kind your motherboard supports (ddr2, ddr3, ddr4, etc.