Whether or not you are constructing or upgrading your PC, your motherboard is a basic piece that can dictate what sort of adjustments you can also make later. If a part is not suitable along with your motherboard (even when it’s one of many finest motherboards), it is not going to work in your PC.
Your motherboard will decide how a lot and what kind of RAM you should utilize, what kind of storage (what number of M.2 SSD slots do you may have?), what number of PCIe-based equipment you may plug in, which RGB ecosystems you should utilize and what CPU upgrades you can also make. Additionally, when you have an issue, chances are you’ll need to obtain the newest drivers or firmware updates, however to do this, you’ll want to establish which motherboard mannequin you may have.
Maybe you constructed your PC a very long time in the past and do not keep in mind which motherboard you used. Perhaps you bought your PC from another person, purchased it in a retailer or from a boutique retailer. If you’ll want to search for your motherboard to see its specs or how one can improve your PC, there are a couple of simple methods to search out out which motherboard you may have:
Technique 1: Test System Information for Motherboard Mode
Together with your PC on, the best approach to view your motherboard mannequin is to go to the Begin Menu > Home windows Instruments > System Data, or simply kind “System Data” into the search bar to convey up the app.
When it is open, it is best to be capable of see “Baseboard Producer” and “BaseBoard Product,” which present the corporate that made it and the identify of the motherboard, respectively. Within the picture above, that makes it an Asus Prime X370 Professional.
You might even see different objects, like “BaseBoard Model,” although System Data would not at all times appear to get these proper. In actual fact, it could not acknowledge the motherboard. If it would not let you know, there are extra approaches to take.
Technique 2: Use Command Immediate to Test Motherboard Mannequin
In the event you’re useful with the Command Immediate, you will get the identical info in a couple of keystrokes. Open the Command Immediate from the Begin Menu, and kind in:
wmic baseboard get product,ProducerThat ought to present the identical info that you simply see in System Information.
Technique 3: Use Third-party software program to Get Motherboard Mannequin
There are a bunch of software program choices that PC builders, benchmarkers, IT staff and others use to take a look at what is going on on of their PCs, and plenty of of them present way more info than Home windows can.
Within the picture above, you may see a report from HWInfo, exhibiting the motherboard info together with most every thing else within the PC. One other fashionable utility is CPU-Z.
You may additionally see when you have software program from the motherboard firm in your laptop. Asus Armoury Crate, MSI Middle, Gigabyte Management Middle and different producer apps might be able to establish your board.
Technique 4: Test the Field for Motherboard Mannequin
If constructing a PC has turned you into an expert hoarder, that is one other simple approach to go. I prefer to preserve the motherboard field to retailer manuals and different small equipment. In the event you nonetheless have it, go dig it out to get all the data you might presumably want.
Technique 5: Test Your Receipts / Order Historical past for Motherboard Mannequin
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In the event you purchased your motherboard from a retailer — particularly on-line — it is best to verify your receipt or order historical past at shops like Greatest Purchase, Amazon or Newegg. Which will assist you discover the identify of the motherboard you are searching for.
Technique 6: Have a look at the Motherboard to Establish It
If all else fails, it is time to open the case. Most motherboards have their identify printed someplace on it. Within the case of the Asus Prime X370 Professional on this article, it is beneath the primary PCIe slot. That implies that to verify, I must take the GPU out of my motherboard.
Figuring out the Motherboard in Prebuilt PCs
In the event you purchased one of many finest gaming PCs, your motherboard can go a couple of alternative ways. Some corporations construct their desktops with commonplace elements, together with motherboards you will get off the shelf. That implies that figuring out the motherboard, both by way of Home windows, software program and even your receipt could be useful for future upgrades.
However a couple of corporations, comparable to HP and Dell, use proprietary motherboards, which implies that even when you’re capable of get the motherboard mannequin identify, it could be tougher to get info on it . At the least, nonetheless, it is best to be capable of get fundamental details about the chipset.
Figuring out Laptop computer Motherboards
Getting your laptop computer motherboard mannequin could be achieved in an identical manner, however will get you a lot much less info. (It is also unlikely to be printed on the motherboard itself, in contrast to desktops.)
You’ll have to open a laptop computer or verify for a upkeep guide on-line to see what sort of upgrades you are capable of make (usually, these are restricted to the battery, RAM, storage and/or Wi-Fi card, relying on the laptop computer. Essential’s Advisor Device has the RAM and storage info for many laptops available on the market.