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

[Admin]

Copper and gold prices have reached an all-time high, forcing many Chinese semiconductor companies to increase prices across the board.

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

 

[MatheusNRei]

Just what we needed, even more expensive hardware.

 

[svan71]

Too much fake money being printed will do that.

 

[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.

 

[bit_user]

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.

Xtalic makes a better contact material than gold

At MWC SemiAccurate met Xtallic, a company making a better gold for contacts through nanotechnology.

semiaccurate.com

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
​

 

[Co BIY]

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.

 

[Co BIY]

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 ....

 

[bluvg]

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.