Run msinfo32 and read the BaseBoard Manufacturer, Product and Version lines in System Summary. The Product line is the model. To script it across an estate use Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard, because the old wmic command no longer exists.
- msinfo32 answers it in ten seconds, no download and no screwdriver
- Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard is the scriptable version
- WMIC was removed in August 2026, so most guides are now wrong
- The revision line matters: same model, different firmware
- On a Dell or HP the system model is the string support recognizes
On this page
The three waysThe three ways to check your motherboard model
There are three answers to how to check motherboard model on a Windows machine, and which one to use depends on whether you need the information once, across an estate, or from a computer that will not start.
Use msinfo32 if you need the answer once. Press the Windows key and R, type msinfo32, press Enter, and read System Summary. Three lines matter.
BaseBoard Manufacturer ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
BaseBoard Product PRIME B550M-A
BaseBoard Version Rev X.0xThe Product line is the motherboard model number, and it is the string to type into the manufacturer support site. While that window is open, note the BIOS Version and Date lines a little higher up, because a BIOS update is the usual reason somebody needs to check the motherboard model in the first place.
Use PowerShell if you need to script it. One command returns the same motherboard information in a form you can collect across an estate.
Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard | Select-Object Manufacturer, Product, Version, SerialNumberAdding -ComputerName or running it through remoting gives an inventory of every motherboard in the building, which is the version of this task that actually matters in an IT department. That is hardware information no spreadsheet stays current on.
Open the case only if Windows will not start. The model is silkscreened onto the motherboard itself, usually between the expansion slots or beside the memory sockets, printed larger than the markings around it.
The serial number is on a sticker, often along an edge. This is the only way to find the motherboard model on a computer that does not boot, which is frequently the computer you need it for.
Why wmic failsWhy WMIC no longer works
Almost every guide on how to check motherboard model, including pages currently ranking for it, tells you to open a Command Prompt and run this:
wmic baseboard get product,Manufacturer,version,serialnumberThat command was correct for twenty years and it is not correct now. Microsoft deprecated WMIC in Windows 10 version 21H1, made it a Feature on Demand that could be disabled, and in August 2026 removed it: it is no longer available as a Feature on Demand on Windows 11 version 24H2 and above. Opening a Command Prompt and typing it now returns nothing at all.
Two practical consequences follow.
Inventory scripts break silently. A script calling wmic at the Command Prompt returns nothing on an updated computer rather than failing loudly, so the hardware inventory quietly develops holes rather than errors.
The replacement is not a like-for-like swap. Get-CimInstance is the supported route and it returns objects rather than text, which is better for scripting and different enough that a find-and-replace across old scripts will not work.
WMI itself is unaffected. Only the command line utility was removed, and everything WMIC did is available through PowerShell.
What it gets youWhat the motherboard model number gets you
Knowing the motherboard is a means to something, and which something decides whether you also need other hardware information.
A BIOS update. The manufacturer publishes firmware per motherboard model, and installing the wrong one can leave the computer unbootable. Match the model and the revision, both of which msinfo32 gives you.
Chipset and other drivers. Drivers come from the motherboard manufacturer on a consumer board, and the model page is where they live. On a business computer from a large vendor, the system model is usually the better key.
Memory compatibility. The motherboard decides how many slots, which generation of RAM, and what capacity per slot. The qualified vendor list for RAM is published per motherboard model.
Upgrade planning. Whether a CPU fits is a socket and chipset question, and both are properties of the motherboard model. The same applies to how much RAM the board will take.
Warranty and support. The serial number is what a vendor asks for, and PowerShell returns that information without opening the case.
One note on prebuilt computers. Dell, HP and Lenovo often report a motherboard product string that means nothing on their own support site, because they identify hardware by system model and service tag instead. On those machines read the System Manufacturer and System Model lines in the same msinfo32 window, and use the service tag or serial number for support.
The chipsetFinding the chipset, which is what the drivers are really for
The motherboard model is usually a step towards the chipset, because that is what drivers, CPU support and expansion capacity actually depend on.
The model name usually contains it. A board called PRIME B550M-A is a B550 chipset, and a Z790 board says so in its name. On most consumer motherboards you have already found the chipset the moment you have found the model.
Device Manager confirms it. Open Device Manager and expand System devices, and the chipset controllers are listed by name. This is the check worth doing when the board name is ambiguous or the machine is a prebuilt whose model string tells you nothing.
The chipset decides more than the CPU socket. How many PCIe lanes are available and at what generation, how many USB ports of which speed, whether RAID is supported, and whether the board will accept a faster processor in the same socket. Two motherboards with the same socket and different chipsets are not interchangeable.
Chipset drivers come from the motherboard manufacturer rather than from Intel or AMD directly, even though the silicon is theirs. The manufacturer packages and tests them for that specific board, which is the reason the model number matters before the download.
PitfallsWhere people go wrong
Following a guide that recommends WMIC. It was right for two decades and stopped being right in August 2026. If the command returns nothing, that is why.
Confusing the motherboard model with the system model. On a prebuilt computer they are different strings and the vendor only recognizes one of them. Read both lines before searching.
Installing a BIOS from the wrong revision. Motherboards with the same model name can have hardware revisions with incompatible firmware. The BaseBoard Version line is not decoration.
Assuming the motherboard model tells you which BIOS version to install. It tells you which firmware family fits. The version you currently have is a separate line in the same window, and you need both pieces of information.
Opening the case first. Ten seconds in Windows answers it. Open the case when the computer will not boot, or when you need to see the physical condition of the hardware.
Trusting a free third-party tool over the firmware. Detection tools read the same values and sometimes report stale or generic strings. msinfo32 and PowerShell read what the motherboard reports about itself.
ComparisonFour ways to answer it, and the row that decides which
| Criterion | msinfo32 | PowerShell | The motherboard | Third-party tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Ten seconds | Ten seconds | Minutes, and a screwdriver | A download first |
| Works without booting | No | No | Yes | No |
| Scriptable across an estate | No | Yes | No | Sometimes |
| Gives the serial number | Sometimes | Yes | Yes | Usually |
| Still supported | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends |
| Free, nothing to install | Yes | Yes | Yes | Usually free, still a download |
The second row decides which method you use. Checking the motherboard model is easy from inside Windows, and the case comes off only when Windows is not available to ask.
FAQFrequently asked questions
How do I check my motherboard model in Windows?
Press the Windows key and R, run msinfo32, and read the BaseBoard Manufacturer, BaseBoard Product and BaseBoard Version lines in System Summary. The Product line is the motherboard model.
What is the PowerShell command for the motherboard model?
Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard | Select-Object Manufacturer, Product, Version, SerialNumber. It returns the same information as msinfo32 plus the serial, and it can be scripted.
Why does the wmic baseboard command not work in Command Prompt?
Because WMIC was removed from Windows in August 2026. It was deprecated from Windows 10 version 21H1 onward and is no longer available on Windows 11 version 24H2 and above. Use PowerShell instead.
Is WMI gone as well?
No. Only the WMIC command line utility was removed. WMI itself is unaffected and PowerShell reaches all of it.
How do I find the motherboard model without opening the case?
Either of the Windows methods above. Neither requires opening the computer or installing any tools, and both take about ten seconds.
Where is the model printed on the motherboard?
Silkscreened onto the motherboard, usually between the expansion slots or near the RAM sockets, in larger text than the surrounding markings. The serial number is on a sticker along an edge.
How do I get the motherboard serial number?
PowerShell returns it directly. Some manufacturers do not populate the field, in which case the sticker on the board is the only source.
What do I need the motherboard model for?
BIOS updates, chipset drivers, RAM compatibility, CPU upgrade planning and warranty claims. Each of those is published per motherboard model.
Why does my Dell report a strange board name?
Because large vendors identify machines by system model and service tag rather than by board. Read the System Model line in the same window and use that instead.
Does the board model tell me my BIOS version?
No, and msinfo32 shows both. The BIOS Version and Date lines are a few rows above the BaseBoard lines in the same window.
Can I check the motherboard model on a computer that will not boot?
Only by looking at the motherboard itself. That is the case where opening the machine is the right answer rather than the last resort.
Are free hardware detection tools better?
No. Those tools read the same firmware values, occasionally report generic strings, and require installing something. The built-in methods return the same information more directly.
What is the BaseBoard Version line for?
The hardware revision. Boards with identical model names can have revisions with different firmware, so it matters when downloading a BIOS update.
How to check the motherboard on a PC without opening it?
On a Windows PC, open System Information with msinfo32 and read BaseBoard Manufacturer and BaseBoard Product. In PowerShell, Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard returns the same fields. That is how to check a motherboard on a PC in under a minute. Prebuilt systems from large vendors often report only the vendor's own model number.
How do I see what motherboard I have on a PC running Windows 10 or Windows 11?
The steps to check the motherboard model on Windows 10 and Windows 11 are the same. Press Win and R, run msinfo32, and read BaseBoard Manufacturer and BaseBoard Product. That is how to see the motherboard on a PC without opening the case. In PowerShell, Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard returns the same fields.
What's my motherboard if System Information shows only the PC maker?
Prebuilt computers from large vendors often report the vendor's own board number, or nothing useful. In that case the answer to what's my motherboard is the system model: search the vendor's support site for that model, or read the number printed on the board itself near the memory slots.
Keep readingRelated concepts
Read next · Firmware and boot Checksum Errors, and Why the Battery Is Usually the Answer The other thing the same msinfo32 window helps with, when the machine complains at startup instead. Open this next10 min- Firmware and boot · 12 min What Is a BIOS? The firmware whose version sits two lines above the answer, and the usual reason for looking it up.
- Firmware and boot · 15 min How to Enable Secure Boot, and What to Check Before You Do The same window, the same two lines, used for the other firmware question people arrive with.
- Identification · 9 min What a Motherboard Chipset Is, and What It Decides About Your PC What the chipset on that board decides, why it cannot be upgraded, and when a chipset driver matters.