Guide: the gold value of old CPUs
How much gold is in old CPUs?
Old processors contain real gold — in the pins, bond wires and contact surfaces. We explain which CPUs are most valuable and buy them by the kilo at daily prices.
Where is the gold in a processor?
Gold conducts extremely well and does not corrode — which is why it was used for decades in the pins, bond wires and contact surfaces of processors. CPUs also contain silver, palladium and copper. However, the quantity varies considerably from one generation to the next.
Which CPUs contain the most gold?
Ceramic CPUs with a gold-plated lid and pins
Intel i386/i486, Pentium Pro, AMD K5/K6, Cyrix and similar classics from the 1980s and 1990s. By far the most gold-rich class — and therefore the highest per-kilo prices.
CPUs with gold-plated pins on a plastic carrier
Pentium II/III, early AMD Athlon and socket generations with a pin grid (PGA). Less gold than ceramic, but still considerably more than modern chips.
Modern CPUs (LGA, without pins)
Current Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors only contain small amounts of gold. Working modern CPUs are almost always worth more as a used part than their material value.
Extract the gold yourself? Better not.
Guides for "refining" CPU gold with aqua regia or other acids circulate online. We strongly advise against it: the chemicals are toxic and corrosive, the fumes harmful to health and disposal of the residues is problematic — and for private quantities the yield is almost always below what a reputable buyer pays.
The safe route: sort old CPUs by category, weigh them and offer them to Ecobro. The professional recovery in specialised refineries extracts considerably more from large quantities than would ever be possible at home — and you receive your share immediately as a purchase price.
Check first: does the CPU still work?
Not every old CPU belongs in the per-kilo buyback. Sought-after models — from retro classics for collectors to usable Xeon or Ryzen processors — often fetch several times their scrap value as a working single item. So first take a look at our page sell CPU or at the computer scrap buyback for mixed stocks.
Current per-kilo prices for old CPUs
All prices are continuously adjusted to the market. You can find per-piece prices for working processors on the sell CPU page.
Questions about the gold value
Frequently asked questions
How much gold is in a kilogram of old CPUs?+
It depends heavily on the CPU type. Old ceramic processors with gold-plated pins and lids contain the most gold, modern plastic CPUs considerably less. That is why old CPUs are sorted by category and valued per kilogram.
Is it worth extracting the gold from CPUs yourself?+
No. Gold recovery requires chemicals that are harmful to health and the environment, and it is neither safe nor profitable for private individuals. Selling to a buyer like Ecobro gives you a fair price without any risk.
Which old CPUs can I sell?+
Ceramic CPUs (e.g. Intel Pentium Pro, i486, AMD K6), processors with gold-plated pins as well as mixed modern CPUs — working or defective. You can find the current per-kilo prices on our CPU page and in the live price list.
Does Ecobro pay by gold content or per kilogram?+
Per kilogram, sorted by category. The per-kilo prices take into account the average precious metal content of each CPU class and are continuously adjusted to the market.
Old CPUs at home?
Sort them by category, weigh them roughly and send us photos. We review your enquiry personally and pay fair per-kilo prices.
Send your enquiry now