Low-grade boards (PSU, TV, modem, appliance)

Brown or tan phenolic / paper-composite substrate visible on at least one side — the single most reliable low-grade tell. Thin, flimsy, single- or double-sided, dominated by large electrolytics, transformers, heatsinks and big through-hole resistors, with few or no ICs and no gold anywhere.

Au 0.005–0.05 g/lbAg 0.2–0.8 g/lbCu 8–15%

eBay typical$2–4per lb

Refiner pays$0.6per lb

Metal in it$4.01per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencehighof the yield figures

How to spot it

TVs, DVD players, microwaves, power supplies, LED drivers, appliance and automotive control boards.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Gold	0.005–0.05 g/lb	effectively none
Silver	0.2–0.8 g/lb
Copper	8–15%

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $4.01 per pound of contained metal — Gold 0.02 g = $2.61, Silver 0.4 g = $0.76, Copper 60 g = $0.64. A refiner paying $0.6 returns about 15% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Pull any silver-contact relays — a single large relay on a PSU board can be worth more than the board's entire gold content. Otherwise sell whole.

Hazards

⚡ Stored high voltage

NEVER short a large capacitor with a screwdriver. It welds the tip, blasts molten metal at your face, and can rupture the can.

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

NEVER dry sweep or use compressed air on a scrapping bench. HEPA-vac or wet-wipe only.

The common trap

Sold on eBay as "gold recovery boards". At this grade the acid costs more than the gold. Also discard the myth that holding a board up to the light grades it — plenty of low-grade boards are opaque. Use substrate colour, thickness, IC density and visible gold together.

Questions

How much gold is in low-grade boards (psu, tv, modem, appliance)?

Gold: 0.005–0.05 g/lb. Silver: 0.2–0.8 g/lb. Copper: 8–15%. At current spot that is about $4.01 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify low-grade boards (psu, tv, modem, appliance)?

Brown or tan phenolic / paper-composite substrate visible on at least one side — the single most reliable low-grade tell. Thin, flimsy, single- or double-sided, dominated by large electrolytics, transformers, heatsinks and big through-hole resistors, with few or no ICs and no gold anywhere.

How do you remove low-grade boards (psu, tv, modem, appliance) safely?

Pull any silver-contact relays — a single large relay on a PSU board can be worth more than the board's entire gold content. Otherwise sell whole.

Related in Boards

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