ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte motherboards could jump nearly 50% in price as PCB components exhibit surge

In an unfortunate turn of events, it appears that Taiwan’s top motherboard manufacturers, including ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI, are preparing to raise prices by nearly 50% in the third quarter of 2026.

This report comes from a supply-chain-oriented outlet known as Board Channels. According to Board Channels, the PCBs used in motherboards are expected to see prices surge by at least 50% toward the end of 2026. This also includes other components such as surface-mounted capacitors, copper heatsinks, controller chips, and power-delivery VRMs. To offset rising costs of PCB components, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI are reportedly preparing to announce a fresh round of price increases in Q3 2026.

This pretty much lines up with what other supply-chain reports have claimed this year. Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes reported that memory now accounts for the largest share of a PC’s total cost, more than ever before, prompting brands to raise component costs or dial back specs. According to reports, ASUS is fighting a defensive battle to meet its already-lowered 2026 motherboard shipment target.

Reduced demand does nothing to help matters

DIY PC consumer demand has been slumping for months, and the shipment numbers back up this reality. ASUS previously shipped 15 million motherboards in a year and is now pacing well below that in 2026, with both MSI and Gigabyte seeing double-digit drops in shipments. 

This leaves the big three motherboard manufacturers with increasing development costs and lower production numbers, while they also struggle to pass those costs on to consumers and buyers who are already reluctant to build PCs.

Another side to this problem is that CPU manufacturers haven’t offered much incentive for DIY PC builders to purchase new hardware on top of the exorbitantly high RAM prices. Intel’s Core Ultra 200 series has been the last major release for its current desktop lineup. AMD has stayed tight-lipped about Zen 6 chips at both Computex and its Advancing AI event and has instead decided to refresh its older SKUs, which are climbing in price, rather than catering to budget solutions.

Nevertheless, no official word has been issued by ASUS, Gigabyte, or MSI. Time will tell whether the motherboard manufacturers will readjust pricing to rebuild their margins.