It is sometimes useful to know how to identify your hardware, just as it is convenient to identify your Windows version or to know the model of your graphics card. Especially if you have a hardware problem and you need the references of your hardware to get help on a website or a specialized forum. It can also be useful to install or update the Windows drivers of your motherboard. Thus, you may need to identify the model of your PC’s motherboard. Here is a tip that will help you to get the model of your motherboard as well as the manufacturer, serial number or version of the motherboard of your computer.
What is a motherboard?
The motherboard is a central element of a computer, whether it is a desktop or a laptop. It connects and operates the various components of a computer such as RAM, hard disk, graphics card, sound card etc… It is a necessary component for the proper functioning of the PC. Without it, it is impossible to start the computer.
How to check motherboard model in Windows
The trick to know the model of the motherboard is relatively simple, it requires the use of the Windows command prompt (or Powershell if the Windows command prompt is not found). The procedure to follow to find the name of your motherboard:
1. Open the Windows command prompt. In Windows 10, simply right-click on the Windows Start menu and then click on Command Prompt.
2. In the command prompt, type wmic and then press the Enter key on the keyboard. This will access the tool that manages the monitoring and control of system resources.
3. Then type in the command prompt baseboard to get the product, manufacturer, version, serial number, and press the Enter key.
This command will display various information about your motherboard:
- Product: reference of your motherboard
- Manufacturer: manufacturer of the motherboard
- Version: version number of the motherboard
- Serial Number: serial number of your motherboard
Alternative solutions to find the reference of your motherboard
Find the model of the motherboard of a Mac
The tutorial below is valid for computers running a Windows operating system. If you have a Mac running MacOS X, proceed as follows:
- Open the Apple menu by clicking on the Apple logo at the top left of your screen.
- Click on About this Mac.
- Note the serial number indicated and then do a web search with the serial number + “motherboard”.
Use specialized hardware software
It is possible to use a software specialized in monitoring and managing your PC hardware like Speccy which will give you a lot of information about your hardware configuration.
Find the serial number on the motherboard
Probably the most complicated method! Indeed, you will have to open the case of your computer (if it’s a tower, for a laptop, I strongly advise you not to disassemble everything to access the motherboard) taking care to be discharged from static electricity. Then look for the label indicating the serial number of the motherboard.