Grab your new motherboard now

Slightly deeper pockets will soon be required if a new motherboard is on the shopping list. It’s been said that motherboard vendors will be looking to increase prices on their boards by as much as 10% in the very near future, potentially as early as the end of this quarter.The reason for the hike is said to be a result of increasing costs on certain raw materials (primarily copper) and also rising labor costs in China. We’ve already seen motherboard prices rise by 5 to 10% at the beginning of 2011 for similar reasons, then again another 3 to 8% rise in April as a result of increased costs on certain components after the Earthquake disaster in Japan a month prior.Apparently ASUS has confirmed plans to increase its motherboard prices by about 10% and one would assume that other vendors will be following suit either at the same time or soon after. Although with that said, GIGABYTE has responded to VR-Zone on the subject with denial of any price increasing to be taking place on their boards anytime soon.Nonetheless, ASUS is expecting its motherboard shipments to increase by 10% within this first quarter and GIGABYTE have even higher expectations of 20%.