How can you tell if hardware is compatible with Linux?

[Orion]

I'm building a new pc to run on Linux. I've never built a pc, or used Linux before. A lot of components -processors and such- say they require Windows operating systems. Is it just a case of finding the right drivers, or are some parts only compatible with particular OS's? :? I would really appreciate any assistance with this.

[Nox]

which distro are you looking at and what hardware are you thinking of using? It is the case of usually just finding the right drivers, but some hardware hasn't got any. General rule of thumb is to go for the most common hardware and you'll generally be fine.

Nox

[Orion]

I'm hoping to get an AMD Phenom 9850 quad core processor, an Asus M3A32 AM2 socket motherboard, Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2 1066 and Novatech GeForce 9600Gt.
I have no idea which Linux distro I'd prefer, so I'll probably try any that I can find.

[system7]

You may find this site, one of several resources, gives you some clues.
http://www.ubuntuhcl.org/index

The reviews on Page 2 here rate that motherboard as being good or problematic with Ubuntu. :roll:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131291

Traditionally, ATI graphics cards are problematic, because ATI have only recently worked on Linux drivers. NVidia is easy.

Realtek sound and LAN is well supported.

You can make your life easier by googling Ubuntu + Device and see how things look.

Some Routers and printers install very easily. Some get quite difficult. Canon is patchy, for instance.

My own Intel 945 chipset and NVidia card have no issues. There's little call for very high powered hardware with Linux, since gaming is limited.