On the boards of routers, optical network terminals, set-top boxes, IP cameras, printers and smart locks, the small 8-pin chip next to the main SoC used to be NOR flash. More and more, it is SPI NAND — serial NAND. The reason is simple: firmware keeps growing, 4MB/8MB NOR can no longer hold new firmware builds, and a 1Gbit (128MB) SPI NAND die has traded below two CNY since 2025. Reference designs on major platforms — Novatek NT9852x, Ingenic T41, HiSilicon Hi3516EV300, Realtek RTL8197 — have moved boot media from NOR to SPI NAND one after another. SPI NAND is one of the fastest-penetrating storage categories of the past three years, yet almost nobody on the recycling side treats it as its own category — it looks like NOR, gets dumped into NOR scrap by weight, and good harvested dies worth CNY 0.8-10 each lose all their value.
Three reasons. First, 8-16x density difference: at the same package footprint, SPI NAND runs from 512MB to 2GB while mainstream NOR stays at 4MB-32MB; the die value of a 2Gbit W25N02KV far exceeds an equal-volume NOR stack. Second, a clear 1.8V vs 3.3V price gap: new platforms and low-power devices favor the 1.8V versions (GD5F1GQ5RE, W25N01GVZEIG), which trade 20-40% above equivalent 3.3V parts (ESMT F59L1G81A, XTX XT25F01GB). Third, brand and generation layers: the highest-volume families are GigaDevice GD5F, Winbond W25N, Macronix MX35LF, ESMT F59L and XTX XT25F; as older parts go EOL (W25N01GV is being replaced by W25N02KV), repair channels lean harder on harvested stock, and AEC-Q100 automotive versions command much higher prices. Pulling these out of the NOR pile is pure upside.
Reference Price (CNY) for SPI NAND recycling, graded by die health, 2026:
| Category | Representative Part Numbers | Reference Price (CNY) |
|---|---|---|
| Scrap / write-protection-locked | All brands | CNY 0.2-0.6 / pc |
| 1Gbit (128MB) good harvested die | GigaDevice GD5F1GQ5RE, Winbond W25N01GV, Macronix MX35LF1GE4AB | CNY 0.8-1.6 / pc |
| 2Gbit (256MB) good harvested die | GigaDevice GD5F2GQ5RE, Winbond W25N02KV, Macronix MX35LF2GE4AB | CNY 1.5-3 / pc |
| 4Gbit (512MB) good harvested die | GD5F4GQ6RE, W25N04KV, MX35LF4GE4AB | CNY 3-5.5 / pc |
| 8Gbit (1GB) good harvested die | GigaDevice DS35Q2GA, high-density serial NAND | CNY 6-10 / pc |
| 1.8V low-power good dies | 1.8V versions, all brands | Same capacity 3.3V +20-40% |
| Automotive SPI NAND (AEC-Q100) | Macronix MX35 automotive, Winbond automotive series | CNY 8-20 / pc |
Note: 2026 reference ranges, moving with NAND spot prices; original tray stock, full reels and volume lots quoted separately.
SPI NAND is actually easier to test than NOR: send the RDID command with a CH341A or production programmer to read the JEDEC ID and confirm vendor and capacity — a GD5F1GQ5RE returns a specific four-byte ID, and 1.8V vs 3.3V versions respond with different IDs, preventing wrong-voltage parts from being mixed in. Then run a full read-write verify with a bad-block scan. Finally, confirm the voltage grade — 1.8V and 3.3V are not interchangeable, and applying the wrong voltage burns the die. Three conditions are downgraded on sight: sanded markings, remarked parts, and "soft scrap" that reads an ID but carries excessive bad blocks. For volume lots, group by batch/marking/voltage and sample-test to push test cost below a fraction of a cent per die.
Three directions to watch in 2026. First, IoT platforms are migrating to 4Gbit/8Gbit — edge-AI cameras and smart gateways need more local firmware and model space, keeping good high-density dies at CNY 6-10. Second, QSPI/Octal SPI interfaces are spreading, and new dual-date-rate parts are showing up in premium routers and in-vehicle entertainment platforms. Third, automotive-grade premiums: AEC-Q100 serial NAND (Macronix and Winbond automotive families) trades at CNY 8-20 in the T-Box and domain-controller repair market — several times consumer-grade. With old parts going EOL on the supply side and high density ramping on the demand side, SPI NAND is one of the few storage recycling categories where both ends are moving the right way in 2026. Don't keep selling it by weight with NOR.
MemoryRecycle runs full testing and grading lines for SPI NAND, NOR, eMMC, UFS and NAND dies covering GigaDevice, Winbond, Macronix, ESMT, XTX, GigaDevice DS, Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron and Kioxia. Router boards, whole set-top boxes, camera boards and volume sellers all get free evaluation, graded pricing and premium buyback — let's pick every serial NAND die out of the NOR pile, one by one.