Rising demand for AI servers is reshaping the PCB supply chain. Printed circuit boards, long an unglamorous part of electronics, have become a key resource that AI chipmakers are racing to lock down, and they are now affecting the supply of traditional consumer electronics such as PCs and smartphones. As more PCB makers shift capacity toward servers and high-speed networking equipment, supply and demand across the industry are changing.
But not every company is benefiting from this cycle. High-end PCBs are seeing strong demand and clearly rising orders, while conventional PCBs face squeezed capacity and higher raw material prices. The industry is splitting into winners and losers.
When planning their 2027 product supply, PC makers such as and have already listed PCBs as a supply bottleneck requiring close attention. An executive at a US PC maker said the company is still struggling to secure enough PCBs, even though PC shipments are expected to fall again next year. AI chipmakers such as Nvidia(), Broadcom(****) and are actively pursuing more PCB and chip-packaging substrate capacity. Nvidia has partnered with Japan’s Ibiden, South Korea’s Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Taiwan’s Unimicron, aiming to raise the relevant capacity to 2.5 times its current level over the next three years. Broadcom and Japan’s Toppan have set up a joint venture in Singapore to expand the supply of advanced packaging substrates. AMD CEO Lisa Su has also repeatedly visited chip and PCB suppliers this year to secure more capacity.
