Tips For Sorting Motherboards – How To Identify Low Grade Boards

At first glance, most computer boards essentially look the same. If you don’t have a lot of experience sorting motherboards, knowing what kind of board you’re looking at (and how much it’s worth) can be a daunting task. You’ll want to be able to quickly identify which of your scrap motherboards are are “low grade” and are therefore the least valuable type of board there is. Sorting your boards properly is essential to a successful escrap venture. In this article, we’ll explain some things you can look out for when identifying which of your boards are low grade.

Where did it come from?
If you know what type of electronic item the board came from, that will help you to identify if the board is low grade or not. You can usually find low grade circuit boards in household appliances like TVs, microwaves, ovens, DVD players, VCRs, and other similar household electronic items.

Check the color
Motherboards come in many different colors including red, green, brown, blue, and more. Low grade circuit boards will almost always be brown on at least one side. However, please keep in mind that just because a board isn’t brown, it does not mean it isn’t low grade. Conversely, if a board is brown it doesn’t automatically mean it is definitely low grade. The color check is just one “test” you should perform before sorthing the board but it isn’t fully conclusive.

Could you break it in half?

If the board you’re trying to identify is thin and feels flimsy, it is likely a low grade board. Low grade motherboards are often thinner than other boards and therefore could easily break if you were to try to bend or crack them in half.

What components does the board contain?

Does the board you’re sorting have many large capacitors, large resistors, and very few (if any) integrated circuit (IC) chips? If so, it is most likely a low grade board.

Do you see gold?

Spotting gold is every escrapper’s dream. If you can see a lot of gold (such as gold pins or gold fingers) on the motherboard, it is most likely not a low grade board.

Will the “light test” help identify if a board is low grade?
There is a myth floating around on escrap forums and other websites that if you hold a board up to the light and can see through it, it must be low grade. This test is not reliable at all. There are many low grade boards that fail this test because they aren’t thin enough to let light through. Holding your board up to the light and attempting to look through it is a complete waste of your time if you want to quickly and efficiently identify which of your scrap motherboards are low grade or not.

Sorting motherboards is an important but often confusing and frustrating step in making money with escrap. The more often you sort your boards, the more quickly you will be able to identify which are low grade and which are other grades. In future articles we will discuss the other types of boards there are and how to properly identify and sort them to maximize your profits from your electronic waste.