# Need help identifying a motherboard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647 "2002-11-14T00:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/1 "2002-11-14T00:08:46Z")
I recently bought a motherboard off of eBay. I’m trying to look up a manual on line, but I can’t specifically identify it. I’ll give the specs, and if anybody can help, I’d appreciate it. It is a 486 VIP, but there are lots of them. I’ll narrow it down. It’s a socket 3 motherboard with: 3 16 bit ISA Slots 1 32 bit VLB Slot 3 32 bit PCI Slots It has UMC chipset 4 72 pin simm sockets for memory Integrated Primary HDD, Secondary HDD, and Floppy controllers Integrated connectors for serial ports 1 and 2 and for a printer port. 1 slot with a 256k Asynch memory chip installed. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dada321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dada321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dada321)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/2 "2002-11-14T02:03:22Z")
If you can find an FCC ID on the board you can use this link to look up the maufacturer. > **[FCC ID Search](https://www.fcc.gov/oet/ea/fccid)** > > Grantee Code: (First three or five characters of FCCID) Product Code: (Remaining characters of FCCID) Advanced Search To perform an advanced search go to: https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm. The advanced search permits search on... ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/3 "2002-11-14T02:22:24Z")
I don’t know where to locate it. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/4 "2002-11-14T02:53:27Z")
- - - Try looking around at [www.motherboards.org](http://www.motherboards.org) ~ ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/5 "2002-11-14T04:22:04Z")
Ok, I’ll give it a try. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/6 "2002-11-14T14:23:08Z")
The first step is to look around the edge of the MB, top and bottom, for printing of a possible model number. Something like 4-10 letters and digits. Then go to Google and enter that and see if anything comes up. Also try Google groups. If no luck that way and the board boots, look for the BIOS maker and serial number on the boot up screen. There’ll be a long sequence of digits/letters in the lower right. Go to [urlhttp://www.wimsbios.com/]Wim’s Bios Page and search for the serial number for your manufacturer. If there is no markings to indicate maker, there’s a good chance it’s a crappy PCChips board, the [PCChips Lottery Board](http://www.stud.fernuni-hagen.de/q3998142/pcchips/) would then be helpful. You bought a 486 MB off of EBay? How much? (I got a lot of these boards.) Wouldn’t the seller tell you who made it? (Unless it was PCChips.) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/7 "2002-11-15T19:10:57Z")
On the back there’s a sticker that says: 486 VIP MB 124 057320 6/24/97 On the board itself there’s: Elpina 1697 - A ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/8 "2002-11-15T20:54:43Z")
“Elpina” is one of the companies that marketed those crappy PCChips MBs. Follow the PCChips Lottery link given above. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-identifying-a-motherboard/136647/9 "2002-11-15T22:51:19Z")
It worked perfectly, now I can get all of the jumper settings. Thanks. 🙂