Motherboard manufacturers are expected to raise product prices to maintain margins amid slowing sales and increasing expenses. Companies are reportedly facing eroding profits as material costs escalate, while market demand shrinks.
According to a report from Board Channels, shared by VideoCardz, major consumer motherboard makers, including Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI, are planning a round of price increases in Q3 2026. The primary reason is cited as a dramatic increase in PCB costs, which have risen by at least 50% this calendar year. Raw materials used in manufacturing, such as copper, are also seeing significant price hikes, as well as surface-mount capacitors, power devices, and supporting control chips.
News of more incoming price increases comes amid a tumultuous time for the PC DIY scene. Drastic RAM and VRAM price increases have already made PC builds too expensive for a wide range users, which in turn has weakened demand for new motherboards. This latest report indicates that a decline in motherboard shipments has forced manufacturers to distribute the higher development, production, and logistics costs across fewer units, resulting in higher prices for the consumer.
While this is unlikely to be a major issue on budget motherboards, we can expect mid-range and high-end models to become even more expensive. We’ve seen some excellent high-end boards in recent years, coupling expansive feature sets with top-notch build quality, and one has to hope that manufacturers aren’t forced to lower the quality bar in order to keep pricing respectable.
Let’s hope any incoming price increases are reasonable; the DIY PC building scene is already moving out of reach for many users, and though the memory crisis can’t last forever, it feels like a long road back to normality for our favourite hobby.
