Motherboard Prices Set to Rise as AI-Fuelled PC Component Disruption Continues
The ongoing AI-driven surge in component prices continues to disrupt PC gaming hardware markets, with motherboard manufacturers now joining graphics cards, RAM, and SSDs in raising prices. According to reports from Board Channels, a Chinese tech forum known for industry leaks, major Taiwanese motherboard vendors Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI are preparing price increases for the third quarter of 2026.
The price hikes are driven by multiple factors: rising manufacturing costs, increased raw material prices, and waning consumer demand as the market adjusts to earlier price increases. Printed circuit board (PCB) costs are expected to surge by as much as 50% in Q3 2026, directly impacting motherboard pricing for consumers.
This represents another blow to PC builders already facing inflated costs across multiple component categories throughout 2026. The widespread price increases across RAM, SSDs, graphics cards, and processors have consistently outpaced typical market adjustments, with AI’s demand for computing resources creating a supply chain bottleneck that continues to ripple through consumer PC hardware.