Hard drive PCBs
Old SCSI and fibre-channel boards pay double what SATA boards pay — $20/lb vs $10/lb. More gold contacts, more layers, bigger chips with gold bond wire.
How to spot it
The small green board on the underside of a hard drive, with gold spring contacts where it meets the head-arm flex.
Metal content
| Metal | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 0.3–0.8 g/lb | old SCSI/FC boards at the top |
| Silver | 0.5–2 g/lb | |
| Copper | 15–25% |
At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $29.0 per pound of contained metal — Gold 0.2 g = $26.1, Silver 1 g = $1.90, Copper 90 g = $0.96. A refiner paying $15 returns about 52% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.
Safe removal
Working temperature: Cold
Torx T6/T8 screws. Lift straight off the contact block.
Questions
How much gold is in hard drive pcbs?
Gold: 0.3–0.8 g/lb. Silver: 0.5–2 g/lb. Copper: 15–25%. At current spot that is about $29.0 of contained metal per pound.
How do you identify hard drive pcbs?
Old SCSI and fibre-channel boards pay double what SATA boards pay — $20/lb vs $10/lb. More gold contacts, more layers, bigger chips with gold bond wire.
How do you remove hard drive pcbs safely?
Torx T6/T8 screws. Lift straight off the contact block.
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