Is Recycling Gold from Old Computers Still Viable?

[wolram]

Is in old puters? i have read about a company that re claims gold from them and other electronic components.

 

[Danger]

If you're thinking of doing this yourself, you'll probablly die of lead poisoning from the solder before you become rich.

 

[lisab]

It's been around $900 US per troy ounce...1 troy ounce = 31.1 grams.

 

[binzing]

there's prolly not much. After doing a fair amount of tech destruction/creation/exploration, I haven't seen much gold, its only really used for like video contacts and other things that require especially good connection. An add on would be how much silver (best conductor) would there be.

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

As far as I know the biggest place that gold is used is on CPUs and any type of IC chip. For CPUs it is pure gold for the internal wires connecting the silicon chip to the external contacts, and usually gold plating for the contact points (LGA type chips) or for the pins. As for the IC chips it is usually just the internal wires.

 

[mgb_phys]

It used to be used a lot more common in the 60/70s. Surface mount components allow much shorter lead lengths so you don't have to be as concerend about conductivity. Modern solder design also reduces the corrosion effects.

You do still find gold plating on connectors but it's anly a few nm thick!