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Why are those rPI carrier boards so expensive? PC motherboards are larger, have more layers, controlled impedance, a lot more components, ENIG finish and cost
by antattack 5y ago
Why are those rPI carrier boards so expensive? PC motherboards are larger, have more layers, controlled impedance, a lot more components, ENIG finish and cost less than half as much.
- nottorp 5y agoBecause they make thousands in a batch (at best! most probably much less) not hundreds of thousands.
- bradstewart 5y agoLow volume.
- geerlingguy 5y agoPC motherboards are manufactured in the thousands (at minimum) by large companies who benefit from economies of scale. Small boards are more 'boutique', often being produced in the tens or hundreds (though there are exceptions), and components are also way harder to come by. For some of the little chips I've seen people use on these boards, lead times can be months (or even years now), and the pricing is astronomical (e.g. a chip that was $0.80 a couple years ago is a few dollars or more today—if it's available). And some manufacturers won't even pick up the phone unless you're ordering in the thousands.