In short: every Lenovo laptop has a serial number (S/N) and a machine type (MTM / Type). You can find them in three places: on the label on the bottom of the laptop, in the BIOS and in Windows. These two identifiers are enough to pin down the exact model and choose the right part for it.
What identifiers does a Lenovo laptop have?
| Identifier | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Model name | The commercial name of the laptop. | ThinkPad T480, IdeaPad 5 14IIL05 |
| MTM / Type | Machine Type Model, the exact type and configuration of the machine. The first 4 characters are the Machine Type. | 20L5000MPB (type 20L5) |
| S/N | The serial number of this specific unit. Lenovo links it to the list of original parts of this laptop. | PF1ABC23 |
| FRU / P/N | The number of a single part, printed on the part itself, not on the laptop. | 01YR485 |
One model name can cover several machine types, and different types can use different parts (e.g. a different display or keyboard). That is why the machine type and serial number are more reliable than the name alone when choosing a part.
Where to find the serial number and machine type?
1. Label on the bottom of the laptop
Turn the laptop over. On the label (or the print on the case) look for the S/N and MTM or Type fields. On older ThinkPads with a removable battery the label is often under the battery. The label often also carries a barcode or QR code with the same data.
2. BIOS (UEFI)
- ThinkPad: press F1 at startup (on some models press Enter first, then F1).
- IdeaPad, Yoga, Legion, ThinkBook: press F2 at startup (sometimes Fn + F2).
On the first tab (Main or Information) you will find Machine Type Model and System Serial Number. This works even when the label is worn off and the system does not boot.
3. Windows
Right-click the Start menu, choose Terminal or Windows PowerShell and type:
Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystemProduct | Select Name, Version, IdentifyingNumber
On Lenovo laptops Name is the machine type (MTM), Version is the model name and IdentifyingNumber is the serial number. The serial number is also shown in the Lenovo Vantage app (device information section).
What to do with these numbers?
- On support.lenovo.com, entering the serial number shows the exact model, warranty and the parts list of this unit.
- In Lenovo's specification database PSREF (psref.lenovo.com) you can check the factory configuration by machine type.
- The easiest way: send us the serial number and machine type and we will choose the right part. How to read the number of the part itself is described in our guide Lenovo FRU number - how to read it.
Frequently asked questions
The label is worn off. How do I read the serial number?
Enter the BIOS or use the Windows command described above. Both read the number stored on the motherboard, so you do not need the label.
The BIOS shows an empty serial number or a string of zeros. Why?
Most often after a motherboard replacement that the service did not program with the laptop's data. A ThinkPad then reports codes 2200-2204 at startup. More in our guide ThinkPad error codes. In this case you can only read the number from the label.
What is the difference between the serial number and the FRU number?
The serial number identifies the whole laptop, the FRU a single part. From the serial number you can find the FRU numbers of the original parts of that unit.
Not sure which part to order? Give us the serial number and machine type and we will help you choose the right one.
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