How to find out what motherboard I have: Three simple ways
One might need to find out their computer's logic board model for wide-ranging reasons. Some of these have to do with repair, replacement, and maintenance, while others revolve around sheer curiosity. Regardless of the reason, 'how to find out what motherboard I have' is arguably among the most prevalent issues faced by people seeking answers to baseboard-related questions.
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This 'how to find out what motherboard I have' guide will cover the possible methods one can apply to determine what mainboard their computer runs on. The guide has wide-ranging information. from simple solutions such as installing third-party apps to more technical ones such as prying your device open.
How to find out what motherboard I have on a Windows PC
Here is a useful guide on how to find motherboard model if you are using a Windows-based laptop or desktop.
1. Using inbuilt system tools
Windows PCs have numerous inbuilt tools meant to help troubleshoot problems, provide device information, and increase a computer's efficiency. Here are some of the tools you can use to find your motherboard (also known as a logic board or mainboard) make, model, and serial number.
System Information
If you are wondering how to see what motherboard I have using the System Information tool, sit back, as it is actually quite easy. System Information is a powerful tool that provides information concerning numerous parts of a Windows PC.
- To access System Information, click on the search bar and type 'System Information' or use the Run dialogue to bring it up. In the latter case, you should type msinfo32.exe into the Run dialogue box.
- Once System Information launches, scroll down to system summary and locate a section named Baseboard Manufacturer, Logic Board Manufacturer, or Motherboard Manufacturer. This will contain all the available system information regarding the motherboard that Windows can access.
While this may seem like the most straightforward method, it often has some blatant limitations. At the very least, you will find out your computer's logic board manufacturer. However, you will probably not find out the motherboard's exact make number using this method.
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On some makes, though, System Information displays additional information about the mainboard that includes the device number.
Command Prompt
Command Prompt is the inbuilt command line interpreter for Microsoft operating systems such as Windows 7, 8.0, 8.1 and 10. If you can overlook its seemingly hard-to-understand command interface, command prompt can be quite useful.
If you are wondering how to find what motherboard I have using the Command Prompt tool, here is a step-by-step guide.
- In the Windows search bar at the bottom left, type in cmd and press enter.
- The Command Prompt interface will open, allowing you to type in commands
- Input the following command as is wmic baseboard get product, manufacturer, version, serialnumber and press enter
- The black Command Prompt interface will display your logic board's information, including the manufacturing company, device number, and version. Keep in mind that for this method to work correctly, you will need to type in the command exactly as shown above.
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2. Examining your motherboard physically
Are you wondering how to know what motherboard I have through physical examination? If you are comfortable prying electronic appliances open, then this might actually be the best way to find out your PC's baseboard make.
Here is a detailed guide on how to check motherboard using this method.
- Make sure your computer is properly powered down. Do not attempt this method when the computer is in a powered state such as 'on' or 'sleep.'
- Unplug all peripheral devices from your computer. This includes audio cables, VGA cables, HDMI cables, Ethernet, audio, and power connectors. External mice and keyboards should also be disconnected.
- One of the most crucial steps in figuring out how to check motherboard model physically involves grounding yourself. Electronic components inside a computer often have significant levels of static electricity. It is important to ground yourself before touching any of these components. This helps prevent one from discharging static electricity upon coming into contact with the components.
- Pry open the lid/cover. Ensure that the components attached to the motherboard are facing upwards. The uneven protrusions of different components might lead to damage if placed facing the work surface.
- Once the lid is open, it is time to locate the motherboard and its device number. In most cases, this is usually printed on the motherboard, but can be located in several other locations such as between PCIe slots, RAM slots, or near the CPU socket.
- What kind of motherboard do I have if I cannot find the manufacturer's name? In some cases, there may only be a device number without a manufacturer listed. If this is the case, you might have to try another method. However, many modern motherboards will list both the manufacturer and model.
Keep in mind that there will be a lot of writing on the motherboard, but the device number is usually written in the largest font. Motherboard device numbers are typically a collection of numbers and letters.
Source: UGC
If you do not find the manufacturer's name printed on any component, feel free to use motherboard detector sites on the internet. To do this, simply type the device number into any search engine console and add the word 'motherboard' after the number.
While this is often hit-or-miss, you might get relevant results to point you to your PC's board manufacturer.
Here are some of the most common logic board manufacturers to help you first locate the manufacturer's name once you open up your computer.
- ASRock
- ASUS (or ASUSTeK)
- Biostar
- EVGA
- Gigabyte
- MSI
At times, you might find the manufacturer's logo but without an accompanying device name. In this case, see whether you can locate the motherboard's chipset. To find this, look for a four-digit alphanumeric code that starts with a letter followed by three numbers.
So, for example, if you found the Asus logo and a code H416, it would mean that your logic board manufacturer is Asus, and the device number is H416.
3. Using third-party software
If you are uncomfortable opening your computer or typing commands on the Command Prompt interface, then you can determine your device's logic board model by using third-party software. Here is a guide on how to check what logic board I have by making use of third-party applications.
- Download your preferred software. There are scores of these third-party apps available online. Some of the most common ones include CPU-Z and Speccy.
- Install the applications and run them. The motherboard detection procedure will vary depending on the software you chose.
Keep in mind that not all tools are available for free download. For some, you will have to make a one-off or periodic payments.
What is my motherboard on Ubuntu?
What motherboard do I have on an Ubuntu system such as Linux Mint? If you need to find the mainboard model of your system from the terminal or command line and you do not want to take off the case, there is a program that comes with Ubuntu by default that can do this. It is known as dmidecode.
- If you do not have it, you can install it with this command in most Debian based distributions: sudo apt-get install dmidecode
- Once the program is installed, find out your logic board model using this command: sudo dmidecode -s baseboard-product-name
- To find more details about your logic board, run this command: sudo dmidecode -t baseboard
How to tell what motherboard I have on macOS
How do I find out what's my motherboard on an Apple device? Unlike Windows-based devices, finding system information on a MacBook or iMac can be somewhat complicated.
As a company, Apple is significantly more reticent than Microsoft when it comes to providing component information.
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To find out your Apple computer's mainboard model number, you will first have to find out the device's serial number.
You get the serial number by clicking on the Apple logo on the left side of the menu bar. You should then select About This Mac, then choose Version. Once you have the serial number, copy and paste it onto the chipmunk.nl website. The site will output your Mac's details, including the logic board's information.
This 'how to find out what motherboard I have' guide above explores the various options available to a person seeking baseboard-related info. The options have varying difficulty levels as well as their unique pros and cons.
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