Valuable Precious Metals
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desktop computer components precious metals
Modern Desktop Computer components

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​Most Computers & electronic devices contain circuit boards and other components inside that will contain many types of precious metals including Gold, Platinum and Silver.

Computer components containing valuable metals include Motherboards, connector cards, graphic cards, memory cards, CPU's and other various small electronic components, connectors/cables & Hard drives.



       Computer components with the highest precious metal content by weight:

  1. Computer CPU's (processors)
  2. Memory (RAM) & Circuit Board Fingers /  Connectors / Pins
  3. Circuit Boards (Motherboards)
  4. Cables / Wires
  5. Hard Drives
  6. Whole Computers

Note: Aerospace / defense, scientific / test, and telecommunications computers will typically have Circuit Boards and other components with a higher level of precious metals (especially heavier gold plating) due to the need for higher quality and reliability.






             Computer components with little to no precious metal value:

  1. CD/DVD drives
  2. Video Monitors
  3. Computer cases
  4. Keyboards / Mouses
  5. Printers
  6. Scanners
  7. Power Supplies
Computer parts Precious Metals gold silver
Precious Metals (Platinum / Gold / Silver)



  Precious metals - where they are found inside Computers:

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  • Gold - Printed Circuit Boards, Computer Chips (CPU), connectors / fingers
  • Silver - Printed Circuit Boards, Computer Chips, keyboard membranes, some capacitors
  • Platinum - Hard Drives, Circuit board components
  • Palladium - Hard Drives, Circuit board components (capacitors)
  • Copper - CPU heat sinks, wiring and cables, Printed Circuit Boards, Computer Chips
  • Nickel - Circuit board components
  • Tantalum - Circuit board components (some capacitors)
  • Cobalt - Hard Drives
  • Aluminum - Printed Circuit Boards, Computer Chips, Hard Drives, CPU heat sinks
  • Tin - Printed Circuit Boards, Computer Chips
  • Zinc - Printed Circuit Boards
  • Neodymium - Hard Drives (magnets)




List of Chemical Elements used in Computers & Electronics:

Magnesium, Radium, Barium, Niobium, Osmium, Cobalt, Manganese, Titanium, Hafnium, Tungsten, Germanium, Gold, Silver, Copper, Mercury, Bismeth, Silicon, Gallium, Zinc, Iron, Sulfur, Phosphorus, Cadmium, Palladium, Tantalum, Platinum, Aluminum, Carbon, Lead, Nickel, Boron, Chromium, Potassium, Fancium, Casium,  Sodium, Lithium, Calcium, Nitrogen, Oxygen , Arsenic, neodymium, Selenium, & Tin.


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           Related:  Gold content in CPU's and Computer Chips
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