But how do you know what motherboard is inside your PC? Well, fortunately, there are several easy ways to find out. I’m going to show three ways to identify your motherboard. And best of all, none of these methods requires you to download and install anything, because while there are some nice motherboard-identifying utilities out there, finding them means sifting through search results that point to some decidedly dodgy websites, and downloading them means having to run the gantlet of websites plastered with deceptive “download now” ads. Also: Black Friday early storage deals: Flash drives, SSDs, and more
How to identify your motherboard
You’re looking for three lines specifically: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, and when it opens, type msinfo32 and then hit Enter. The System information application will open, and it will display a everything you need to know about your PC.
BaseBoard Manufacturer: The manufacturer of the motherboardBaseBoard Product: The name of the motherboardBaseBoard Version: The version number of the motherboard
Typing these details into a search engine will likely bring up the information you’re looking for about the motherboard in your PC. For example, take this ASUS ProArt X670E-CREATOR WIFI, which has the name printed next to the CPU socket. The motherboard’s manual is a veritable treasure trove of information about your PC. It’s one of those manuals that’s definitely worth keeping. Beyond just telling you what motherboard you have, it’ll tell you things like what RAM and CPU it supports, what any error codes or beeps mean, and how to update the firmware. While I generally put manuals straight into the recycling bin, I make sure to keep motherboard manuals for future reference. Know what motherboard you have and need a manual? Type the name into a search engine and go to the manufacturer’s website – the manual should be available there. That’s all there is to it! Also: I built an NZXT BLD Kit gaming PC with my kids and it was an awesome experience
