How to Find a Laptop Board Number and Revision
Updated November 8, 2026
Schematics, boardviews and BIOS dumps are made for a specific board, not for a laptop model. The board number printed on the PCB, together with its revision, is what decides whether a file fits. This guide shows where to find it, how to read the common formats, and why the model name on the bottom label is not enough. The catalog is organized the same way: see boards.
Why the laptop model is not enough
- One model, several boards. The same model name can cover Intel and AMD versions, integrated and discrete graphics, different CPU generations, or a mid-life redesign. Some vendors have also sourced the same product line from more than one ODM.
- One board, several models. An ODM board is often used in several retail models, sister brands or regional variants with different names.
- Revisions. Rev 1.0 and Rev 2.0 of the same board number can differ in parts, values and designators.
A wrong schematic costs hours. A wrong BIOS dump can leave the board with no power. Five minutes spent reading the PCB is the cheapest step in the repair.
Before you start
Opening the laptop is required to read the PCB. Disconnect the adapter and the battery first, use ESD protection, and photograph cable routing and screw positions before you remove anything. If the number is only on the bottom side, the board has to come out.
Where the number is printed
The board number is part of the silkscreen, the white printing on the PCB. Common places:
- Near a board edge, often in a free area next to the SODIMM slots or the battery connector.
- Around the CPU and heatsink area.
- Under the keyboard or touchpad ribbon cables.
- On the bottom side only, on some designs.
Practical tips:
- Stickers with barcodes are usually the assembly serial number or a service part number. They sometimes cover the silkscreen.
- Silkscreen is low contrast. Photograph it with the phone flash at an angle, then zoom in on the photo.
- Ignore fabrication marks: UL file numbers (an E followed by digits), the 94V-0 flammability rating, the PCB maker’s logo, date codes and layer counts. None of these identify the design.
Hints without opening the laptop
The firmware reports a board identifier you can read from the running system:
- Windows PowerShell:
Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard | Select-Object Manufacturer, Product, Version - Linux:
cat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_name /sys/class/dmi/id/board_version
This usually returns the OEM’s internal identifier rather than the ODM board number. HP, for example, reports a short hexadecimal board ID. It is useful for searching, but confirm the result on the PCB before you rely on it.
Common board-number formats
| Pattern | Manufacturer | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA-xxxxP | Compal | LA- + 4 characters + P | LS-xxxxP is usually a sub-board |
| NM-xxxx | Compal (newer) | NM- + letter + 3 digits | Sub-boards also use NM- numbers |
| DA0…MB… | Quanta | DA0 + project code + MB + version | MB = mainboard |
| 6050Axxxxxxx | Inventec | 6050A + 7 digits, then -MB-A0x | A0x is the revision |
| xxxxx-x | Wistron | 5 digits + dash suffix, plus codename | Often with a 48.4… PCB number |
| MS-xxxx | MSI | MS- + 4 or 5 characters | Desktop boards: MS-7xxx |
| BA41-xxxxxA | Samsung | BA41- + 5 digits + letter | BA92- is the board assembly |
| 820-xxxxx | Apple | 820- + 4 or 5 digits | 051- is the schematic number |
| 60NBxxxx | ASUS | Sticker part number | PCB shows the board name and REV |
Compal: LA-xxxxP and NM-xxxx
Compal builds boards for Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Toshiba and others. Older boards carry LA-xxxxP, where the four middle characters can be digits or letters (a number in the style of LA-B302P). Small sub-boards (USB, audio, power button) use LS-xxxxP, so make sure you are reading the mainboard. Newer Compal boards use NM-xxxx, typically a letter followed by three digits after the dash. Compal also prints a project code near the board number, and the same code appears on the schematic cover. More under Compal.
Quanta: DA0…MB…
Quanta boards carry a long string such as DA0 + project code + MB + version code, for example in the shape DA0XXXMB6E0. MB marks the mainboard; sub-boards use other letters in that position. Some newer strings drop the zero after DA and use a longer project code. The project code is the useful part: it is also the project name on the schematic. Quanta schematics use revisions such as 1A, 2A or 3A, sometimes written r1A. Match the project code first, then the revision. More under Quanta.
Inventec: 6050A…
Inventec boards, common in HP laptops, carry 6050A followed by seven digits, often extended with -MB-A02 or similar, where MB is the mainboard and A02 the revision. A project code name is usually printed separately on the PCB and is often what file names use. More under Inventec.
Wistron: short numbers and codenames
Wistron boards (Acer, Dell, Lenovo and others) use a five-digit number with a dash suffix, such as 19746-1, printed together with a platform or project codename. Many also carry a longer PCB part number starting with 48.4. Treat a different dash suffix as a different board until you have confirmed otherwise. Files are frequently named by the codename rather than the number, so search for both. More under Wistron.
MSI: MS-xxxx
MSI uses MS-xxxx for the product and the board. On laptops, the board number is usually the product code plus one more digit, for example product MS-16xx with board MS-16xx1. On desktop motherboards the MS-7xxx code is the board itself. Revisions appear as VER 1.0, VER 1.1 and so on.
Samsung: BA41-xxxxxA
Samsung laptop PCBs carry a BA41-xxxxxA number. The BA92-xxxxxA number on a sticker is usually the complete board assembly used as a service part. A project codename is usually printed on the board too, and many files are named by it.
Apple: 820-xxxxx
Apple logic boards carry an 820- number: four digits with a letter revision on older boards (820-3xxx-A), five digits on newer ones (820-00xxx, 820-01xxx). The matching schematic carries a 051- number. The Axxxx model number on the case can cover several years and several different 820 boards, so always read the board.
ASUS: 60NB… and the board name
ASUS PCBs usually show a board name and revision in the silkscreen, for example a model-style name followed by MAIN BOARD and REV 2.0. The board name often differs from the retail model, because one board is sold under several regional names. The sticker number starting with 60NB is the part number of the assembled board, including CPU and memory options. It is useful for ordering parts, but the silkscreen board name and revision are what match schematics and boardviews.
Service part numbers
Lenovo FRU numbers, Dell part numbers (printed as CN-0xxxxx) and HP spare part numbers identify a board assembly for ordering. Several of them can map to one PCB design, differing only in CPU, GPU or memory. Use them as a cross-reference, not as a substitute for the PCB number.
Revision marks
Revisions appear in many forms: REV 1.0, REV:2.0, R1.0, r1A, -A02, VER 1.1, or a letter after an Apple 820 number. Note whatever is printed, exactly as printed.
The schematic revision does not always equal the PCB revision. Public schematics are sometimes from pre-production builds. When the exact revision is not available, the closest one is usually valid for most circuits, but verify every part you rely on against the real board.
Step by step
- Note the model and serial number from the bottom label.
- Open the laptop, find the silkscreen board number and photograph both sides of the board.
- Write down the full string, including the revision and any codename.
- Search by board number, not by model, on search.
- Confirm the match: the schematic cover page and the boardview outline should agree with the board in front of you.