An emerging report suggests that three prominent motherboard manufacturers, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI, may soon raise their prices. This potential increase could stem from new tariffs, specifically a 32% tariff on exports from Taiwan to the United States. This leads to the question: should you consider purchasing a motherboard now before prices change?
To clarify, this information has been sourced from Board Channels, a site commonly frequented by industry insiders and known for such leaks. However, none of the three companies has issued any official statements regarding this matter, so for the time being, prices remain stable. It’s important to keep in mind that these proposed price increases may eventually materialize.
Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI are among the leading manufacturers for both AMD and Intel CPUs. If these giants decide to increase their prices, it’s likely that other brands will follow suit, which could lead to a ripple effect across the market. Conversely, lesser-known brands might seize the chance to attract consumers with competitive pricing, thus enhancing the competitiveness within the motherboard sector.
The extent of any price changes remains uncertain, including whether these adjustments would affect regions outside the United States. We’ve seen significant turmoil in the pricing of various PC hardware components recently—graphics cards, in particular, have spiked in cost and are rapidly selling out. While tariffs play a significant role in these fluctuations, low inventory levels also contribute to the rising prices. As demand continues to surge for the latest GPUs, there’s little motivation for prices to diminish.
Given the current unpredictability of PC component prices—and with motherboards now entering this volatile environment—waiting for an official announcement from Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte before making a purchase could be wise. However, if you encounter a good deal, it might be beneficial to take advantage of it, as a decrease in prices seems unlikely in the near future.