Motherboard prices may rise in Q3 as PCB costs increase by at least 50%
ASUS, GIGABYTE and MSI are reportedly preparing another round of motherboard price increases in the third quarter of 2026. The information comes from Board Channels, focused on graphics card and motherboard distribution.
According to the report, prices for PCBs used in consumer motherboards are expected to rise by at least 50% during 2026. Costs for copper, surface-mount capacitors, power components and supporting controller chips have also increased.
Lower shipments put more pressure on margins
The price increases come as demand for DIY PC hardware continues to weaken. Motherboard shipments have declined, leaving manufacturers with fewer units across which to distribute higher development, production and logistics costs. Perhaps launching tens if not hundreds of models for current-gen socket didn’t make this easier.
Board Channels claims that manufacturers have struggled to pass the full cost increase to customers. ASUS, GIGABYTE and MSI are therefore expected to adjust channel pricing during Q3 to restore margins for themselves and downstream distributors.
© Board Channels (translation) There’s hardly a reason to buy new motherboards
One thing to note is that CPU makers have made little effort this year to persuade customers to build new PCs. The Core Ultra 200 series is pretty much the end of the road for major CPU releases on Intel’s current platform, while AMD did not mention consumer Zen 6 processors at either Computex or Advancing AI. Instead, they announced refreshed models, most out of budget for casual PC users.
Add higher memory prices, and there is hardly any reason to upgrade right now. The irony is that many new motherboard features have focused on memory support, while rising motherboard prices will only reduce interest further.
Source: Board Channels
