How do I find out my motherboard model on Windows 10?

Motherboard
1

After noticing some performance issues, I want to check my motherboard model on my Windows 10 PC to see if it’s compatible with some new hardware I plan to buy. What’s the easiest way to find this information without opening the case?

2

Checking your motherboard model on Windows 10 to see if it’s compatible with some new hardware can be pretty straightforward. Here are a few easy ways to do it without opening up your PC case.

Method 1: Using System Information

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter.
  3. In the System Information window, look for the fields titled “BaseBoard Manufacturer,” “BaseBoard Product,” and “BaseBoard Version.” These will give you the manufacturer, model, and version of your motherboard.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

  1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Windows search box and selecting it.
  2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
    wmic baseboard get product,Manufacturer,version,SerialNumber
  3. This will display information like Manufacturer, Product, Version, and Serial Number of your motherboard.

Method 3: Third-Party Software

Sometimes built-in tools might not give you all the details you want in a user-friendly way. Using a third-party program like CPU-Z can be pretty helpful. Just download, install, and run CPU-Z, and navigate to the “Mainboard” tab to see detailed information about your motherboard.

Method 4: Inspect the Motherboard Physically

If for some reason the above methods don’t work (which can happen, though rarely), turning off your PC, unplugging it, and carefully opening the case can provide that information directly. Look for a model number printed somewhere on the board itself, usually near the RAM slots or CPU.

Checking compatibility for new hardware is a wise move—always a good idea to be cautious before making any hardware upgrade. If you plan to upgrade your CPU or RAM, especially, confirming these essentials through either built-in tools or reliable third-party software can save you a lot of hassle. Plus, it’s a good time to ensure your BIOS is up to date—a mismatch there could also cause performance issues.

Be sure to compare the features of your current motherboard with the specifications required by the new hardware you plan to purchase. Sometimes features like PCI Express versions, M.2 slots, or RAM compatibility can make a significant difference.

Happy upgrading!

3

Hey everyone, some great advice was already shared, but I thought I’d throw in a few more pointers that might help you out in other ways or functions when you face trouble identifying your motherboard model.

Method 5: BIOS/UEFI

In case the software-side approaches aren’t giving you what you need or accurate enough, diving into your BIOS/UEFI (before Windows even boots up) can be super helpful. Restart your PC and as it starts booting up, commonly hit the DEL, F2, F10, or ESC keys (depending on your manufacturer). Look around in the BIOS/UEFI menus, and very often, you’ll find product information including the motherboard model.

Be cautious in here – don’t change any settings unless you know exactly what you’re doing, as you could affect how your system starts up.

Method 6: Windows Powershell

An alternative to Command Prompt that often gets overlooked is using Powershell, which provides very similar results but may offer slight variations depending on your system version.

  1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  2. Run the following command:
    Get-WmiObject win32_baseboard | Format-List Product,Manufacturer,Version,SerialNumber
  3. This will spit out the info in a nicely formatted list, and sometimes it gives subtleties depending on how your system’s WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) is written.

Method 7: Manufacturer Tools and Websites

If you know the brand of your motherboard – say, ASUS, MSI, or Gigabyte — check out their utility software on their websites. They often provide dedicated utilities that can retrieve such details along with information about drivers and BIOS updates. For example, ASUS has “ASUS CPU-Z” and “MSI has Dragon Center.”

You see, these tools are particularly designed to get every bit of detail about their own hardware, so it might be handy beyond just finding out the motherboard model.

Method 8: Device Manager (Less Specific)

This one’s not as reliable but can sometimes help you get closer to what you need, especially when dealing with drivers:

  1. Right-click Start button and select Device Manager.
  2. Expand the “System Devices” category and look for entries like “Motherboard Resources” or “System Devices.”

While Device Manager doesn’t directly list motherboard model details most of the time, it can at least confirm onboard device entries which might lead you on a more specific path when researching in BIOS or manufacturer tools.

Some considerations or additional thoughts:

  1. Performance issues: Before investing $ in new hardware, double-check that your current hardware is fully up-to-date – BIOS, chipset, and all relevant drivers. Sometimes performance hiccups are software related rather than hardware – maybe running sfc /scannow in Command Prompt to fix corrupt system files.

  2. Compatibility: Make sure the new hardware is fully supported by your system, not just in terms of form factors but also in terms of voltage and throughput capabilities, e.g., PCIe lane compatibility when getting a new GPU or M.2 NVMe SSD.

  3. RAM Compatibility: While consulting motherboard specs for compatibility, also check the RAM frequency and type are supported (DDR4 vs DDR5 etc.), cause these can influence overall system stability and performance.

  4. Power Supply: Check whether your power supply unit (PSU) can support any new power requirements. Since high-end GPUs and processors often require a lot more than stock setups.

And if all else fails, don’t be afraid to get hands-on and open up your case carefully – if you’re comfortable doing some DIY work, the printed model number on the board itself will always be a surefire method.

In short, plenty of ways to cross-check things, and you’re on the right track being so thorough before upgrading to avoid any hazards.

Good luck with your upgrades!

4

Why go through all that hassle just to find your motherboard model? You don’t need CPU-Z or any fancy third-party software. Just check the BIOS or UEFI; it’s not rocket science. Restart your PC, hold down DEL, F2, or ESC and navigate. If that sounds too much, maybe you should rethink upgrading your hardware in the first place.

Using msinfo32 or cmd is fine, but sometimes Windows just doesn’t pull accurate data. I’ve had times when wmic didn’t return any result at all. Also, can we stop pretending Command Prompt is easy for everyone? Powershell works similarly but just avoid Windows Device Manager—it never shows useful info for motherboard specifics.

Too many methods listed here already, and while some like CPU-Z are recommendable due to ease of use and detailed analysis, but who needs the clutter of yet another software in their system for a simple task?

Method 1: Straight into BIOS/UEFI

  1. Restart your computer.
  2. Hit DEL, F2, F10, or ESC continuously as it boots.
  3. The motherboard model should be somewhere in the main info screen. Done.

Pro: Direct, will always work. Con: Bit intimidating for the less tech-savvy, and you can easily mess things up if you change settings.

If these aren’t your cup of tea, try contacting your PC or motherboard manufacturer’s support. Some offer remote diagnostics services if you really can’t figure it out yourself. Stop cluttering your PC or overwhelming yourself with too many tools. Just get it done quickly and safely by checking the BIOS, and if that’s too scary, maybe let someone competent assist you.