The computing power demand of AI is quietly changing the pattern of the electronic components market, with the most obvious being the shortage and price increase of alloy resistors. As a key component for current detection, alloy resistors play an irreplaceable role in AI servers and GPU power supply modules.
The explosion of AI computing power brings about a surge in demand
The core of AI technology development lies in computing power, and behind computing power is enormous power consumption. At present, the single card power consumption of high-performance GPUs has jumped from the early 300W to over 1400W, and the power consumption of clusters has reached the megawatt level. In this high current, low voltage working environment, in order to ensure stable operation of the GPU, the power management system must accurately monitor and control each current path.
Alloy resistors, also known as current sensing resistors or sampling resistors, are the "nerve endings" that accomplish this task. It can convert current signals into voltage signals and provide real-time feedback to the power management chip, thereby achieving efficient current monitoring and overcurrent protection. Compared to ordinary thick film resistors, alloy resistors use alloy materials such as manganese copper and nickel copper, which have low resistance (milliohm level), high precision, low-temperature drift (TCR), and excellent surge resistance. This makes it a must-have in AI computing hardware. The trend of alloy resistance indicates that with the surge in AI server shipments, this demand is growing exponentially.
The dual pressure of raw material cost and supply chain
In addition to the explosion on the demand side, pressure on the supply side also follows one after another. The core cost of alloy resistors is directly affected by fluctuations in the prices of metal raw materials. Nickel, copper, ruthenium, etc. are key basic materials for manufacturing alloy resistors. In the past two years, factors such as global inflation, geopolitics, and limited mining capacity have led to extremely unstable prices for these metals. Especially ruthenium, as a key component of thick film resistor paste, experienced a sharp increase in price in the first quarter of 2025. The cost pressure transmitted from raw materials to the production end has become the direct driving force behind the price increase of alloy resistors.
Meanwhile, the production process of alloy resistors is complex, and high-end products involve processes such as semiconductor lithography and precision etching. Manufacturers with automotive grade or high reliability server level supply capabilities are still highly concentrated globally, and their capacity expansion speed cannot keep up with the explosive pace of AI hardware, resulting in supply-demand imbalance and shortages becoming the norm.
Opportunities for market expansion and domestic substitution
Looking ahead, the trend of alloy resistance is still bullish. Market research data shows that the global alloy resistor market is expected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of around 9% between 2026 and 2032. In addition to the core driving force of AI servers, new energy vehicle battery management systems, fast charging heads, energy storage inverters, and AIPC terminals are constantly increasing the demand for precision alloy resistors.
Faced with the current situation of international brand price increases and extended delivery times, the rise of local supply chains has provided a buffer for the market. Domestic manufacturers such as Fenghua High tech have overcome technological bottlenecks and achieved large-scale production of automotive grade, high-power alloy resistors, with an annual production capacity of over 4 billion units. In order to ensure the stability of the supply chain and control procurement costs, more and more manufacturers are seeking support from local agents with deep original factory resources.
In the period of tight procurement of alloy resistors, choosing reliable channels is crucial. As a professional electronic component technology channel partner, Shenzhen Shunhai Technology Co., Ltd. not only acts as an agent for alloy resistors from brands such as Xinwei Communication, but also has a complete passive component product line, which can provide customers with stable supply and selection support. In addition, you can also visit its online platform, Hua Nian Mall, which covers a wide range of alloy resistor models and spot inventory, making it a convenient tool for quickly locking in scarce materials.
The trend of alloy resistance has clearly pointed towards high power, miniaturization, and high reliability. Driven by the wave of AI, the story of this small component has just begun.
