The cost of building a PC may soon climb higher, as motherboard prices are anticipated to rise due to increasing raw material expenses. These increases are largely attributed to ongoing supply chain disruptions, including those stemming from the Strait of Hormuz crisis and regional conflicts.
The price of essential components for motherboards has seen significant hikes. According to reports from Board Channels, a forum for hardware manufacturers, the cost of printed circuit board (PCB) materials has escalated by 15% to 50%. Additionally, Wi-Fi modules are experiencing price increases of 10% to 20%, and capacitors have seen a nearly 50% surge in cost. These factors combine to have a notable impact on the overall manufacturing cost of motherboards, with estimates suggesting at least a 10% increase in component expenses.
Geopolitical events, such as the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on industrial facilities like Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)'s Jubail plant, are contributing to these material shortages. SABIC is a major supplier of high-quality PPE resin, a critical material for PCB manufacturing, and its shipping routes are directly affected by the instability in the region.
While major motherboard manufacturers have implemented relatively small price adjustments in August, with overall increases around 3% and affecting limited models, this trend may not persist. Some brands, like MSI, raised prices across their product lines, while others such as Asus and Gigabyte adjusted prices for their main models with increases ranging from approximately $0.74 to $7.44 USD. Chinese domestic brands like Colorful and Maxsun saw smaller increases of about $1.49 to $2.98 USD per unit.
However, manufacturers indicate that further price increases are possible in the coming months as raw material costs continue to climb. This suggests that consumers may face higher prices for motherboards as manufacturers seek to balance their production costs.