The CEO of Thermal Grizzly details the trouble he’s had sourcing copper at affordable prices, and says price hikes might be on the table. Alphacool and Be Quiet! are facing similar challenges.
We’ve been hearing a lot about memory shortages and price hikes for consumer electronics, but another crucial raw material is also in short supply: copper.
Copper is now more expensive and harder to find, with orders taking months to arrive, according to Roman Hartung, CEO of Thermal Grizzly, which sells high-performance cooling solutions. As VideoCardz reports, Hartung posted a YouTube video recently detailing the trouble he’s had sourcing copper at affordable prices.
In October, Hartung tried to order 12mm copper plates, which would normally cost around 190 euros ($225) and arrive in one to two weeks. However, his supplier quoted him 280 euros ($330) and delivery in four months.
Copper prices have increased from $9,000 per ton to $13,000 per ton year-over-year, Hartung says, or about 50%. It’s slightly less in euros at 30%, but that’s still „absolutely massive for one year“, Hartung says. Tin is also up 60% in euros and 80% in US dollars.
