If you need to check what motherboard you have, but you’re unsure of how to do so, in this guide, we’ve listed a few different methods to help you figure out what motherboard is in your computer.
For the most part, checking your computer’s specs is a fairly straightforward process. Finding out what processor or graphics card you have or how much memory is in your system can be accomplished in a few easy clicks.
However, figuring out what motherboard you have is a bit more difficult. Fortunately, it is still fairly easy to figure out what kind of motherboard is in your computer and, in this post, we’ve provided multiple ways you can do so—each with step-by-step directions.
Method 1: Use A Command Prompt
If you’re comfortable running command prompts, this method is probably going to be your best bet to find out your motherboard’s information.
To find out what motherboard you have, follow these steps:
1. In the Windows search bar, type in ‘cmd’ and hit enter.
2. In Command Prompt, type in wmic baseboard get product,Manufacturer
3. Your motherboard manufacturer and the name/model of the motherboard will be displayed
For this method to work correctly, you’ll need to type in the provided prompt exactly as shown.
Method 2: Open Your Computer and Check Your Motherboard
Another method you can use to quickly check and see what motherboard you have is to open up your computer and look for the manufacturer and model number on the motherboard itself.
Here’s an image of what my motherboard looks like and what the manufacturer and product name look like:
Here is a list of the most common motherboard manufacturers (in no particular order) to help you first locate the manufacturer’s name:
MSI
ASUS (or ASUSTeK)
Gigabyte
ASRock
Biostar
EVGA
If you’ve located the manufacturer’s logo on the motherboard, but you’re not sure where the motherboard’s model name is, look around for the motherboard’s chipset. This will be a 4-digit code that starts with a letter and is followed by three numbers.
For instance, in the image of my motherboard above, you can see that I have a Z370 chipset motherboard (the-F is a part of ASUS’ model number for that motherboard). If you can find a similar 4-digit string of numbers you will likely have located the motherboard’s chipset and its model number.
Method 3: How to Check Motherboard Model in Windows with ‘System Information’
In some cases you can find your motherboard model in Windows by checking the System Information menu. Here’s how to do so:
1. In the Windows search bar, type in ‘System Information’
2. Scroll down on the System Summary tab (opens on the left side of the window) until you find ‘Motherboard Manufacturer’, or ‘BaseBoard Manufacturer’.
3. The information next to ‘Motherboard/BaseBoard Manufacturer’, ‘Motherboard/BaseBoard Model’, and ‘Motherboard/BaseBoard Name’, should give you the information you are looking for.
While this method might seem like the easiest way to use to check what motherboard you have, it can be a bit hit or miss. At the very least, you’ll at least be able to find out the manufacturer of your motherboard. But, you may not be able to find the exact model number of your motherboard using this method.
As you can see in the image above, System Information displays who manufactures my motherboard, but it doesn’t tell me the exact model number.
However, in this picture, System Information does display the model number of the motherboard. So, while it probably isn’t a full-proof method, checking your motherboard model in Windows will probably work if you have a newer motherboard.
Method 4: Use Third-Party Software/Motherboard Checkers
Another option is to download third-party hardware monitoring software that will display your motherboard details, manufacturer, and model number.
Both CPU-Z and Speccy will show you what motherboard you have in your computer. You will need Speccy’s premium version, though, in order for it to show you what motherboard you have (it costs $19.95).
CPU-Z shows you what motherboard you have for free.
Belarc Advisor is another free program that can act as a motherboard checker service (among other features.)
Now That You Know What Motherboard You Have…
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your processor and you need to know what motherboard you have, or you’re checking to see what memory is compatible with your motherboard so you can add more, this guide will help you determine what motherboard is in your computer so that you can make the right choice.
