2023 China Computer Motherboard Industry Report: Market Size, Competition, and Supply‑Chain Analysis

The computer motherboard is the central platform that connects the CPU, memory, storage and peripheral devices, and its performance directly influences system stability and speed. The industry covers the full lifecycle of motherboard design, manufacturing, testing and sales, as well as related chips, storage and graphics components.

Motherboards are classified by application into three main categories: desktop, notebook and server. Desktop boards largely follow the ATX standard with high interchangeability, notebook boards are highly customized per model, and server boards support dual processors and specialized chipsets.

In recent years the Chinese motherboard market has experienced fluctuating but overall growth, expanding in scale while competition intensifies. High entry barriers, rapid technology iteration and strong demand for high‑performance PCs drive continuous product upgrades.

The market is dominated by a few leading manufacturers—ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte—collectively holding about 62% of the market share (28.26%, 16.92% and 16.66% respectively). The second tier (e.g., Colorful, AOpen) captures roughly 15% of the market, while smaller players each hold less than 3%.

Barriers to entry include high technical thresholds (chip design and integration), substantial capital investment for production lines, and volatile demand that requires stable sales channels.

The supply chain is divided into upstream, midstream and downstream segments. Upstream supplies semiconductors (IC design, wafer fabrication, packaging) and passive components; these components account for over 50% of a motherboard's cost and are sourced from a limited number of suppliers with strong bargaining power. The midstream involves PCB assembly and integration, where manufacturers depend heavily on upstream component quality and pricing, with production costs exceeding 60% of total cost. Downstream consists of OEMs and end‑users across desktops, notebooks and servers, with notebooks representing about 60% of application demand, desktops 30% and servers 10%.

From 2017 to 2022 the market size grew from ¥153.48 billion to ¥276.36 billion, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5%. Forecasts predict the market will reach ¥453.41 billion by 2027, maintaining a CAGR of roughly 10.4% as AI and cloud computing drive higher performance requirements.

Future competition is expected to remain concentrated, with the top four manufacturers holding around 70% of market share. Technological innovation, price pressure and an expanding consumer base will intensify rivalry, while product differentiation and cost‑efficiency will be key to sustaining growth.