The motherboard is the most significant component of your computer. It connects all of the other components and allows them to communicate. While motherboards don't go equally much attention as GPUs or CPUs, it's nevertheless important to know which model is inside your computer.

In this guide, we volition learn how to detect the motherboard you have with v quick methods.

Why Do Y'all Need to Know?

Why does information technology matter what motherboard you're using? It'due south the most important thing you lot need to know about your computer, especially when you desire to upgrade any function of your organization. If you lot know your motherboard model, you can hands find out what type of CPU, RAM, SSD, or HDD it accepts.

For instance, not but practise you take to option a new CPU from the motherboard'due south CPU support list, but you may also have to perform a BIOS update before that CPU works. If you don't know which motherboard you accept, y'all can't know which BIOS update to install.

Understanding Motherboard Model Names

Before nosotros wait at methods to uncover your motherboard model number, you should know how to place information technology in the first identify. There'south no standard naming convention among motherboard makes, but they do have some things in common.

Yous'll often find that virtually motherboards merely have a simple model code such every bit "GA-B85N". However, more than expensive motherboards may have distinct names, such as the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI.

Whether the model name is a somewhat ambiguous lawmaking or a more than specific branded proper name, both will ordinarily give y'all some clue as to the "chipset" of the motherboard. And then in the case of the GA-B85N, it's a board based on the onetime B85 chipset. When information technology comes to the B450, it uses the AMD B450 chipset.

Yous can read all nigh chipsets in What Is the Best Motherboard for Your AMD Ryzen CPU?

Now that yous have a amend idea of what a motherboard model name looks like and fifty-fifty what it might mean, nosotros'll move on to where you can look it up.

Google Your Computer Model

If you bought a prebuilt computer, the motherboard model is most likely listed in the specification sheet online. Yous can notice that information on the product listing for the computer on sites like Amazon or on the company'due south site that builds and sells the computer.

If you can't notice the motherboard model of your prebuilt computer, it's nearly likely an OEM motherboard that isn't sold separately. In those cases, the prebuilt computer's model name acts every bit a proxy for the motherboard.

If that still doesn't help you detect the information you need, y'all always have an choice to contact the figurer's manufacturer to become your answer.

Look at the Motherboard

Yes, it's that simple. Except for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and laptop motherboards, you'll almost ever discover the model number printed boldly on the motherboard itself. Information technology may fifty-fifty be printed on the board multiple times in different places.

Expect at this picture of the B450 AORUS PRO WIFI:

You can see the model number printed on the motherboard, and that'due south all you lot need to put into Google to find the manufacturer page.

If yous don't see such a model number, you can as well look for a serial number (commonly) printed along the board's edge. If it's an OEM motherboard, you're ameliorate off searching for the bodily computer model proper name.

Use the Control Line

Commonly, information technology's easy to identify your hardware by simply using the Device Manager in Windows, but if y'all look at that list, yous won't notice your motherboard there. The skilful news is you tin just use the Command Prompt to notice that data.

  1. Open the Offset Card and type CMD. So select Command Prompt.
  1. Now, type wmic baseboard get production,Manufacturer and press Enter

The output will then tell yous the name of your motherboard. In this case, nosotros're using a laptop, so the motherboard's name also happens to be the computer's name. On a desktop system, this is usually not the case.

Apply the System Information App

The Command Prompt is a fast way to find out the motherboard in a PC, and information technology's handy in situations where yous tin can only admission the Command Prompt and not the graphical interface of the operating organisation. However, if you're a piffling put off by using the previous command, you can use the Arrangement Information app to see your motherboard model besides.

  1. Open the Start Menu and blazon System Information.
  1. Open up System Information.
  2. Under System Summary, look for the Baseboard Product entry.

Y'all'll discover that this is the same data we got using the Command Prompt method, and indeed both that control and System Information become the data from the same place.

Use a Tertiary-Party App

Many third-party applications can chop-chop gather information about your organisation and present them in a more user-friendly style than the methods above. We specifically prefer CPU-Z, which has long been the arrangement info app of choice for figurer geeks from all walks of life, including hardcore overclockers and gamers.

All you have to exercise is download the application and install it. Then run it on your figurer. In the instance of CPU-Z, you'll have to switch to the "Mainboard" tab, and then you should see this.

The information nether the "Model" field is what you're looking for, so that'south easy plenty!

Before you move on, yet, CPU-Z tin can tell you a lot more than almost your motherboard than just the model number. It shows you lot the chipset, PCIe Express speed, and your current BIOS version number. If you lot wait under the "Memory" tab, you lot can see what type of memory is installed also. There'southward a good gamble yous're looking for your motherboard model proper noun to find this information. If that's the case, then your search tin can cease correct here.