PCB makers remain upbeat about demand for notebooks in the third quarter of 2021, but are unsure whether demand will stay brisk in the fourth quarter, according to industry sources.

Many IC supply chain players are psychologically prepared for notebook clients cutting orders for some specific components after having boosted inventory levels through overbooking in the first half of the year, the sources said, but PCB makers remain guardedly optimistic about overall sales in the second half of the year.

PCB makers are still busy fulfilling shipments scheduled for the entire third quarter, and they see little possibility for clients to adjust their order placements in the short term, the sources continued.

If clients have to cut PCB orders, it will not occur until the fourth quarter at the earliest, the sources indicated, adding that PCB makers will remain able to maintain high capacity utilization throughout the year unless terminal market demand for notebooks falls sharply.

If notebook demand starts to weaken, the lowest-level models will be the first to suffer, while high-end models, particularly business-use notebooks, may be less impacted, the sources said, adding PCB makers, with deep deployments in commercial-notebook applications in recent years, will not feel much of the possible downturn pinch.