How to find your motherboard and CPU generation

Some of our builds depend on your processor. Which slot your card goes in depends on your motherboard. So check both before you pay. Windows tells you most of it in a minute.

Open System Information

Press Windows + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. This is the same tool the msinfo32 report comes from. On the System Summary page, read these lines:

• Processor.
  Your CPU, for example Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11400F or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-Core Processor.
• BaseBoard Manufacturer and BaseBoard Product.
  Your motherboard's maker and model, for example ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. and ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING.
• System Manufacturer and System Model.
  On a PC you built yourself these are often blank or generic. On a prebuilt they show the computer's name, for example Dell Inc. and OptiPlex 7070.

Intel: read the generation

On Intel, the generation is the first one or two digits right after i3, i5, i7 or i9:

A four-digit model number starts with a one-digit generation. A five-digit one starts with a two-digit generation. Core Ultra chips, like the Core Ultra 7 265K, use the newer naming that replaced the numbered generations. They're newer than 11th gen, so Private runs on them.

What that means for our builds:

• Private needs Intel 11th gen or newer.
• Vanguard needs an Intel main PC on every build that covers it. VALORANT DMA has the rest.

Every other build runs on AMD too. There, check the motherboard's chipset.

Find your chipset

The chipset is the chip on the motherboard that runs most of its slots and ports. It tells you how old the board is. On a board you bought on its own, it's usually in the model name. B550 in ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING, Z490 in Z490 AORUS ELITE.

• AMD: a board from 2020 or newer. B550 boards are mixed. If yours doesn't work, we fix it or replace it. In the very rare case it still doesn't work after that, we refund you.
• Intel: a board from 2020 or newer. For Private, a 2020 or newer Intel board with an 11th gen or newer processor. If your processor is already 11th gen or newer, your board supports one.

Choosing your firmware has every build side by side.

On a Dell, HP or Lenovo

On a prebuilt, BaseBoard Product is often a short part code, not a name you can search. Use System Model instead:

• Dell.
  Search the model on Dell's support site and open its Setup and specifications guide. It lists the chipset and the slots. The Service Tag on the sticker takes you to the exact machine.
• Lenovo.
  Search the model or the machine type (the first four characters of System Model) on Lenovo's PSREF site. It lists the chipset and slots.
• HP.
  Search the model on HP's support site and open its specifications or QuickSpecs.

Find the slot table

Your motherboard's manual has a table of its PCIe slots and which of them share lanes with an M.2 socket. Search the board's model on its maker's site and download the manual. On a prebuilt, the service manual's system board layout shows the same thing. Your Main PC explains what to look for in it.

Done

If you're not sure your PC fits the build you want, post your Processor and BaseBoard Product lines on the support forum before you buy, and we'll tell you.