Server motherboards

Multiple CPU sockets, many DIMM slots, dense small ICs packed close together, thick rigid multilayer laminate. Count laminate lines at a cut edge — more layers means more grade.

Au 0.05–0.3 g/lbAg 1–3 g/lbPd 0.02–0.10 g/lbCu 15–25%

eBay typical$9–16per lb

Refiner pays$10per lb

Metal in it$21.8per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencemedof the yield figures

How to spot it

Large multi-socket boards pay $10/lb; small plastic multi-socket $6.50; metal-socket versions $4.90 because the metal is dead weight.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Gold	0.05–0.3 g/lb	connector-dense and high layer count, but still era-dependent — strip the connectors and the laminate drops to mid grade
Silver	1–3 g/lb
Palladium	0.02–0.10 g/lb
Copper	15–25%

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $21.8 per pound of contained metal — Gold 0.13 g = $17.0, Silver 1.3 g = $2.47, Palladium 0.035 g = $1.44, Copper 90 g = $0.96. A refiner paying $10 returns about 46% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Pull CPUs, RAM, gold connectors and any ceramic packages before selling. Then sell the board in its own grade.

Hazards

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

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

Before you scrap it

A whole working server is $80–400 refurbished versus $25–45 as scrap. Test before you strip.

Questions

How much gold is in server motherboards?

Gold: 0.05–0.3 g/lb. Silver: 1–3 g/lb. Palladium: 0.02–0.10 g/lb. Copper: 15–25%. At current spot that is about $21.8 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify server motherboards?

Multiple CPU sockets, many DIMM slots, dense small ICs packed close together, thick rigid multilayer laminate. Count laminate lines at a cut edge — more layers means more grade.

How do you remove server motherboards safely?

Pull CPUs, RAM, gold connectors and any ceramic packages before selling. Then sell the board in its own grade.

Is server motherboards worth more working than as scrap?

A whole working server is $80–400 refurbished versus $25–45 as scrap. Test before you strip.

Related in Boards

Cell phone boards Boards · $25–40/lb Au 0.09–0.50 g/lbAg 0.23–1.26 g/lbPd 0.025–0.07 g/lbCu 12–56% A Telecom / military boards Boards · $11–35/lb Au 0.3–4 g/lbAg 1–8 g/lbPd 0.02–0.3 g/lbCu 15–25% A Telecom backplanes Boards · $10–18/lb Au 1–3 g/lb wholeAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 20–30% A Laptop motherboards Boards · $10–18/lb Au 0.20–0.50 g/lbAg 1–3 g/lbPd 0.02–0.08 g/lbCu 15–25% B Wire-wrap / pin boards Boards · $20–35/lb Au 0.6–1.5 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 20–30% B Arcade PCBs / JAMMA Boards Boards · $30–800/lb Au 0.05–0.20 g per board ≈ 0.09 g/lbCu ~45 g/lbAu ceramic gold-lid customs (FD1094 C

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