Rising metal prices could mean more expensive laptops, PC parts, and other electronics in the near future

Computer internals
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Prices of precious metals used in electronics manufacturing have drastically jumped in the past five years. This is especially true of copper, which cost $5,000 per metric ton in 2020 but now sits at $8,300. Because of these price increases, Digitimes reports that several Chinese semiconductor companies are raising their prices.

Some companies, including battery circuit protection firm ICM and circuit design, packaging, and testing firm Yaxin Microelectronics, have informed their customers in writing that they’re increasing their prices by 10-20% across the board with immediate effect. Reports indicate that most of these companies noted the continuous price hikes in precious metal materials as the reason for their higher prices, with further price increases expected down the line.

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Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

  • MatheusNRei
    Just what we needed, even more expensive hardware.
    Reply
  • svan71
    Too much fake money being printed will do that.
    Reply
  • thisisaname
    Rising metal prices could mean more expensive laptops, PC parts, and other electronics in the near future

    There is no could it will mean price rises.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    svan71 said:
    Too much fake money being printed will do that.
    No, that causes broad-based inflation.

    The increase in metals pricing is clearly a case of demand outpacing supply. The reasons for that seem quite clear: the energy transition, electric vehicles, and datacenter buildout should be driving demand for lots and lots of copper.

    As for this filtering through to higher PC prices, I'm quite skeptical of that, especially given how the article cites it as a cause of chip price inflation. The amount of copper in chips is negligible compared to the amount in PCBs and cooling components. Also, there are more economical alternatives to gold, for plating contacts.
    https://semiaccurate.com/2016/04/12/xtalic-makes-a-better-contact-material-than-gold/
    I see this is only the second article the author has published on the site. Let's hope their future articles are better researched & sourced.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/author/jowi-morales
    Reply
  • Co BIY
    bit_user said:
    The amount of copper in chips is negligible compared to the amount in PCBs and cooling components.

    The amount of copper in any of these products is a negligible amount of their value.

    Electric motors and cooling components may be slightly effected.

    The weight of a large Noctua cooler is a little over a Kilogram. - $8.30 worth of copper if that weight was 100% copper (it's not).

    Case fan 120 Grams - $1.00 if the entire weight was copper (not likely).

    One 12"x12" 4-layer PCB with 1oz traces - $0.93 worth of copper before etching.
    Reply
  • Co BIY
    svan71 said:
    Too much fake money being printed will do that.

    The inflation happens whether the money is real or fake.

    It is interesting to note that counterfeiting of money by a Foreign government is considered an act of a war and a legitimate "Casus Belli" because of the resulting destruction of the value of the nation's money .

    The same destructive act by one's own government ....
    Reply
  • bluvg
    Co BIY said:
    The same destructive act by one's own government ....
    Or in this case, by virtually every nation's government affected by the pandemic (i.e., every nation). This is hardly isolated to any one country, and with a global economy, the aggregate impact to prices is amplified.
    Reply