Get in touch with PCBark Company
MCPCB vs FR-4 + Heatsink TCO Comparator
A metal core board costs more bare — but FR-4 needs heatsinks, fans, and thermal vias to handle the same heat. Compare the loaded per-unit cost of both paths for your volume.
Your quoted FR-4 price
Heatsink, thermal interface, fan, extra assembly the FR-4 path needs
Industry range 2–4× for the bare metal core board
FR-4 + heatsink path
—
Aluminum MCPCB path
—
—
Get a real MCPCB quote for your volume →
Illustrative model. MCPCB unit = FR-4 bare × multiplier; FR-4 path = bare + bolt-on thermal hardware/assembly. Reflects the published finding that metal core often nets lower once heatsinks are removed (SMT Magazine case). Not a PCBark quotation — request a detailed cost analysis.
