Why is quoting FPGAs more complex than quoting ordinary MCUs?

Three reasons: (1) there is no published market price — every part is quoted individually by part number; (2) BGA packages hide their pins under solder balls, so visual inspection cannot confirm authenticity — JTAG verification is mandatory; (3) identical packages can differ 20x in resources (logic cells/BRAM/DSP), so similar-looking markings can differ hugely in price. The industry standard is 'verify first, price second.'

How do I quickly verify whether a used FPGA works?

Standard three steps: connect JTAG and read the IDCODE to confirm the real part number; program a self-test bitstream with the vendor toolchain (Vivado/Quartus) — successful load means the logic array is essentially intact; then check the temperature-grade suffix (-I industrial / -2I etc.) and bank power. A single part takes about 1-3 minutes; batch verification can run on parallel programmer arrays.

What is the price gap between industrial-grade and commercial-grade FPGAs?

For the same part number and package, industrial grade (-40 to 85°C, suffix -I/-2I) runs 15-30% higher in recycling than commercial grade (0 to 70°C). Industrial parts are a hard spec in automation, automotive and defense channels and cannot be substituted with commercial parts; certified lots hold the premium more firmly. Always check the marking suffix at intake so commercial parts don't get quoted as industrial.

With domestic FPGAs ramping up, are used Xilinx/Altera parts still worth anything?

It depends on the tier. Entry and mid-range parts (Cyclone II/IV, low-end Artix-7) are being directly squeezed by domestic devices and prices have visibly softened. High-end parts (Kintex-7/Virtex-7/Zynq UltraScale+) hold firm because domestic vendors have no direct counterpart yet and telecom/medical qualification cycles are long. Strategy: move entry-level fast for volume, hold high-end in locked channels.

FPGA Recycling Market: Xilinx Artix-7/Kintex-7 and Altera Cyclone Residual Value Grading, JTAG Verification Guide and the Pricing Impact of Domestic FPGAs

Why FPGAs Are the Hidden Goldmine of 2026 Chip Recycling

Unlike CPUs and GPUs, which have published secondary-market prices, FPGAs have no public price index — every part is negotiated individually by "part number + condition + verification," making them the category with the widest information gap in the entire chip market. Three sources of supply expanded simultaneously in 2026: (1) end-of-life inventory clearance by industrial/medical/telecom system makers (mostly Cyclone II/IV and Artix-7); (2) imported obsolete stock displaced by domestic FPGA substitution; (3) leftover project materials from research institutes. FPGA-related inquiries grew roughly 60% year-over-year in the first three quarters, with per-part prices concentrated between ¥5 and ¥3,800 — 5-50x the unit value of an ordinary MCU. That is exactly why FPGA recycling is "small but valuable."

Why FPGAs Are Harder to Recycle Than Ordinary Chips

Three hard barriers: first, BGA packaging hides the pins under solder balls — authenticity cannot be verified by eye; second, logic density — identical packages can differ 20x in resources, and visually similar markings can be worth wildly different amounts; third, there is no "die market" — FPGAs do not circulate as bare dies, so refurbishment has essentially one main path: the whole, working device. FPGA pricing therefore comes down to whole-device usability plus engineering verification capability — whoever can program-and-verify on site takes the premium.

Mainstream FPGA Recycling Price Reference (October 2026, Reference Price CNY)

Family / Part Number	Package / Grade	Recycling Price Range	Notes
AMD/Xilinx XC7A35T-1FTG256C	Artix-7, Commercial	¥18-35	Mid-low volume workhorse
AMD/Xilinx XC7A100T-2FGG484I	Artix-7, Industrial	¥90-150	Hot refurb part for automation
AMD/Xilinx XC7K325T-2FFG900C	Kintex-7, Commercial	¥350-620	Telecom/image-processing demand
AMD/Xilinx XC7VX690T-2FFG1761C	Virtex-7, Commercial	¥800-1,500	High-end; hold in locked channels
AMD/Xilinx XCZU9EG-2FFVB1156	Zynq UltraScale+, Commercial	¥2,000-3,800	PS+PL dual system; highest unit value
Intel/Altera EP4CE6E22C8N	Cyclone IV, Commercial	¥8-15	Low-end volume; squeezed by domestic
Intel/Altera EP4CE15F17C8N	Cyclone IV, Commercial	¥15-28	Large refurb/repair circulation
Intel/Altera 10CL010YE144I8G	Cyclone 10 LP, Industrial	¥12-22	Main Cyclone II successor
Intel/Altera EP2C5T144I8N	Cyclone II, Industrial	¥5-10	Legacy; repair channel
Unigroup Logos-2 PGL25G-6IFBG256	Domestic, Industrial	¥15-25	Ramping; strong value
Fudan Micro JFM7K325T (vs. XC7K325T)	Domestic, Commercial	¥300-550	New high-end domestic alternative

Note: These are October 2026 industry reference ranges; actual prices fluctuate with condition, batch and market movement. Always confirm live quotes.

The Mandatory "Three-Minute Verification" When Buying Used FPGAs

Read IDCODE over JTAG: confirm the real part number first. Fake re-marked parts masquerading as high-end instantly expose themselves when the IDCODE is read.
Program a self-test bitstream: load a self-check design with the vendor toolchain (Vivado/Quartus). A successful load means "programmable" — the precondition for quoting.
Check temperature grade and bank power: -I/-2I suffixes mean industrial grade (-40 to 85°C), worth 15-30% more than commercial. Verify the marking suffix matches the part number so low-grade parts can't pass as industrial.

Domestic FPGA Impact: The Price System Is Being Rewritten

As domestic FPGAs from Unigroup (Logos/Titan), Fudan Micro (JFM7K series), Anlogic (ELF) and Gowin keep ramping, entry- and mid-range used imported FPGAs are visibly compressed: EP4CE6 has moved from ¥12-15 toward ¥8-12, and low-end Artix-7 parts are under similar pressure. Yet high-end Kintex-7/Virtex-7 and Zynq UltraScale+ remain firm — domestic vendors have no direct counterpart yet, and telecom/medical customer qualification cycles are long. Strategy: move mid-low-end fast for volume; hold high-end in locked channels and collect the certification premium.

Bottom Line

FPGA recycling is a game of verification capability and information advantage. Master JTAG testing first, build a part-number price library, and separate volume play from high-end holding — then you won't sell an XC7K325T at EP4CE6 money. ChipReclaim buys the full FPGA range from AMD/Xilinx, Intel/Altera and domestic vendors, with on-site JTAG verification and whole-lot testing. We also recycle MCUs, GPUs, IGBTs and RF chips across all categories. Contact Mr. Wu at 188-2424-1693.