Before upgrading one or multiple computer hardware, you first must know how old the computer really is relative to the newer hardware you want to buy to get a bigger picture of how much performance jump you could expect from one generation over another.
Unlike mobile phones where we could look at the release date and conclude the age of it, mainstream computers on the other hand are a bit tricky to know its production date.
Instead of checking each component release date, we can just look at the motherboard and it will show you the precise production time, down to the date it was born. How is it possible?
Why your motherboard can tell how old your computer is
Inside a computer motherboard, there is firmware which often called BIOS/UEFI. This firmware is pretty much inserted on the day where the motherboard was assembled in a factory. So, by knowing the BIOS/UEFI installation date, we can precisely tell how old the motherboard has been around.
On top of that, motherboard is essentially the center component that connects the storage, CPU, RAM, and GPU together. This means it alone will dictate what type and generation of other components can be attached.
For example, Intel i7-7700K (7th Generation) processor cannot be used on the Intel Z590 motherboard which was designed for the 11th Generation processor line ups. Their socket wouldn’t be compatible.
Therefore, your CPU and possibly other components can only be as new or old as the motherboard technology.
How to check computer age via Command Prompt
With that premise in mind, we will now explore the BIOS/UEFI installation date on the motherboard. For Windows users, this can be achieved by running a specific command through Command Prompt. Follow the guide below.
1. Find Command Prompt from the Start menu, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
2. Type systeminfo.exe and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Wait for the system to gather information.
4. The motherboard production date can be seen on the Bios Version.
Additionally, it also includes the Windows installation day which shown under the Original Install Date row.
To get you into context, based on the information above, my computer motherboard was manufactured on May 27, 2020 and got Windows installed precisely at November 10, 2020.
This information is actually a lot more accurate than the motherboard release date since the item is generally has been manufactured weeks or even months before being deployed to the consumer.
Other than upgrading hardware, did you know that there are plenty of free tweaks you can do to keep your PC always on top? Learn more on 5 Tips to Improve Gaming Performance Without Upgrading New Hardware.
