So, on average, a Computer along with its accessories will have 0.310 grams of Gold. On specific high performance processors/ computers like Intel 386 and 486, Pentum 4 CPU, AMD Ryzen CPUs, Intel 80286 microprocessor have higher Gold content. The total amount of Gold from a single computer can go upto 0.500 grams.
Despite these challenges, the extraction of gold from electronics can be worth it for individuals looking to recover valuable metals and reduce e-waste. Additionally, gold prices are constantly increasing, making it an attractive investment for those looking to extract gold from electronics.
Among all home devices, computers and televisions typically contain the most gold. Gold is also found in the circuit boards of earlier generations of cameras, radios, and media players. Traces of gold can be found in other electronics like game consoles, tablets, and phones.
CPUs have a high content of gold – it could be as much as 0.2 g to 0.5 g! Melting and processing of parts from several devices yield up to 1–2 g of gold.
Pour nitric acid into the glass container over the circuit boards. Stir the mixture with the glass or metal rod until the contents become a uniform fluid. Once the gold has separated from the plates — it may take some time — strain the nitric acid from the mix using the filter. Take out the pieces that aren't melted.
The main component of a SIM card is the electronic chip made from Silicon with some added impurities such as phosphorous . It is plated with metals such as Gold to form outer layer which makes contact with your mobile phone. This chip is housed inside a shell made from plastic. 1,000 SIM Card Approx Contains 1 gm Gold.
Magann: A PC circuit board, where the gold is, weighs about a pound. If you had a ton of those boards, you should have 5 troy ounces of gold.
This is because the gold content in rams is about 0.155%, which means that there is 15.5 milligrams of gold in every gram of rams. So, if you have 1 kilogram of rams, which is equal to 1000 grams, you will have 15.5 grams of gold.
Computer CPU's (processors) have the most precious metal value by weight, followed by Memory (RAM) & Circuit Board Fingers / Connectors / Pins, then Circuit Boards (Motherboards), then cables / wires, with hard drives & whole computers being last.
The processors and connectors in computers, tablets, and smartphones use gold. You can also find gold in televisions, gaming consoles, printers, or essentially anything electronic.
Gold-bearing circuit boards are increasingly used in appliances like microwaves, air conditioners, refrigerators, and kitchen stoves. A good rule of thumb is: The more technological features that an appliance has, the more likely it is to contain small amounts of gold.
Remotes of All Kinds
Just about every household has a batch of old remote control devices for old TVs, VCRs, and more lying around, sometimes quite a few. And each of them contains a small printed circuit board that contains a small quantity of gold.
TVs usually contain a very small amount of gold that might amount to about $1.00 or less in value. It can be quite a lot of work to get to the gold inside your TV as well.
How much gold is in a computer hard drive? It is possible to find gold plating in small traces, not only in hard drives, RAM memory sticks, but in many other components of desktop or laptop computers. The exact amount can vary around 0.3 gram of gold worth around $20.
Historically, Gold reached an all time high of 2074.88 in August of 2020. Gold - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on July of 2023.
Strip out the boards
In another container, mix two parts hydrochloric acid and one part weak hydrogen peroxide (a concentration of three per cent). Pour this mixture over the circuit boards so they are completely submerged. Wait for a week, giving the vessel a stir every day with a glass or plastic rod.
Generally, a TV will contain a fraction of a gram of gold which, when sold, would only make you a few cents richer. Gold is typically found on a TV's circuit board and is used to conduct electricity.
Removing Gold Using Fire
Use steel tongs to turn over the burning circuit boards. Get a metal bin or tray, and put the circuit boards into it. Break the boards into smaller pieces so they burn faster. Light the boards on fire.
However, the amounts of gold are very little in the single-car. Frankly, it is quite difficult to extract the material that is spread out in small quantities (usually one to two grams of gold per vehicle).
Smelters are used to extract Gold and other metals from computers. Circuits in modern CPUs and Laptops weigh around 100 gm so you can expect to extract 0.150 grams of Gold. Additionally, the wires and connector pins have gold which will amount to another 0.070 gram and another 0.090 grams for gold plated contacts.