AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 6, 1998
                                                     REGISTRATION NO. 333-______
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                 TEXAS                             74-2211011     
    (State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer  
    incorporation or organization)             Identification No.)
                                              

         3000 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
            ANGLETON, TEXAS                           77515   
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)           (Zip Code) 
                                                

                           BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.
                                STOCK OPTION PLAN
                              (Full title of plan)

                                DONALD E. NIGBOR
                                    PRESIDENT
                              3000 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
                              ANGLETON, TEXAS 77515
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (409) 849-6550
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                   Copies to:
                                JOHN R. BRANTLEY
                          BRACEWELL & PATTERSON, L.L.P.
                           SOUTH TOWER PENNZOIL PLACE
                        711 LOUISIANA STREET, SUITE 2900
                            HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002-2781

                               ------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
======================================================================================================
                                                PROPOSED             PROPOSED                         
                                                 MAXIMUM             MAXIMUM            AMOUNT OF  
 TITLE OF SECURITIES       AMOUNT TO BE         OFFERING            AGGREGATE         REGISTRATION          
  TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED       PRICE PER SHARE      OFFERING PRICE           FEE     
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      
<S>                        <C>                  <C>               <C>                   <C>   
    Common Stock, par 
  value $.10 per share     1,000,000(1)         $23.66(2)         $23,660,000(2)        $6,577
======================================================================================================      
</TABLE>

(1)   Pursuant to Rule 416, includes any additional shares issuable pursuant to
      the antidilution provisions of the plan.
(2)   Estimated, pursuant to Rule 457(h), solely for the purpose of calculating
      the registration fee based on the average of the high and low sale prices
      of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on November 2, 1998,
      which was $23.66, for a total maximum offering price for such 1,000,000
      shares of $23,660,000.

<PAGE>
Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the Registration
Statements on Form S-8 (Registration No. 33-61660 and Registration No.
333-26805) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Benchmark
Electronics, Inc. are incorporated herein by reference.

This Registration Statement is filed solely to register additional securities of
the same class as the securities registered pursuant to the effective
Registration Statements referenced above relating to an employee benefit plan.


                                      -2-
<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Angleton, State of Texas, on November 6, 1998.


                                          BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.

                                          By: /s/ DONALD E. NIGBOR
                                                  Donald E. Nigbor
                                                  President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
          NAME                            POSITION                              DATE                
     --------------                -----------------------                   -----------    
<S>                           <C>                                           <C>    
                                       Chairman of the                                          
     John C. Custer                  Board of Directors                                         
                                                                                                
 /s/ DONALD E. NIGBOR              Director and President                   November  6, 1998   
    Donald E. Nigbor            (principal executive officer)                                   
                                                                                                
 /s/ STEVEN A. BARTON              Director and Executive                   November  6, 1998   
    Steven A. Barton                   Vice President                                           
                                                                                                
 /s/ CARY T. FU                    Director and Executive                   November 6, 1998    
    Cary T. Fu                Vice President (principal financial                               
                                   and accounting officer)                                      
                                                                                                
 /s/ PETER G. DORFLINGER                  Director                          November 6, 1998    
   Peter G. Dorflinger                                                                          
                                                                                                
 /s/ GERALD W. BODZY                      Director                          November 6, 1998    
   Gerald W. Bodzy                                                                            
                                                                          
                                          Director               
     David H. Arnold                                             

</TABLE>

                                      -3-
<PAGE>
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT
NUMBER      DESCRIPTION
-------     -----------

5           Opinion of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. regarding the legality of
            the shares of Common Stock covered by this Registration Statement.

23.1        Consent of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. (included in the opinion
            filed as Exhibit 5 hereto).

23.2        Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.


                                      -4-
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7670}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS INC", "cik": "0000863436", "assigned-sic": "3672", "irs-number": "742211011", "state-of-incorporation": "TX", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-66889", "film-number": "98739457"}, "business-address": {"street1": "3000 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE", "city": "ANGLETON", "state": "TX", "zip": "77515", "phone": "4098496550"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "3000 TECHNOLOGY DR", "city": "ANGLETON", "state": "TX", "zip": "77515"}}
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 6, 1998
                                                     REGISTRATION NO. 333-______
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                 TEXAS                             74-2211011     
    (State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer  
    incorporation or organization)             Identification No.)
                                              

         3000 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
            ANGLETON, TEXAS                           77515   
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)           (Zip Code) 
                                                

                           BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.
                                STOCK OPTION PLAN
                              (Full title of plan)

                                DONALD E. NIGBOR
                                    PRESIDENT
                              3000 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
                              ANGLETON, TEXAS 77515
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (409) 849-6550
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                   Copies to:
                                JOHN R. BRANTLEY
                          BRACEWELL & PATTERSON, L.L.P.
                           SOUTH TOWER PENNZOIL PLACE
                        711 LOUISIANA STREET, SUITE 2900
                            HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002-2781

                               ------------------
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
======================================================================================================
                                                PROPOSED             PROPOSED                         
                                                 MAXIMUM             MAXIMUM            AMOUNT OF  
 TITLE OF SECURITIES       AMOUNT TO BE         OFFERING            AGGREGATE         REGISTRATION          
  TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED       PRICE PER SHARE      OFFERING PRICE           FEE     
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par 
  value $.10 per share     1,000,000(1)         $23.66(2)         $23,660,000(2)        $6,577
======================================================================================================
(1)   Pursuant to Rule 416, includes any additional shares issuable pursuant to
      the antidilution provisions of the plan.
(2)   Estimated, pursuant to Rule 457(h), solely for the purpose of calculating
      the registration fee based on the average of the high and low sale prices
      of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on November 2, 1998,
      which was $23.66, for a total maximum offering price for such 1,000,000
      shares of $23,660,000.
Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the Registration
Statements on Form S-8 (Registration No. 33-61660 and Registration No.
333-26805) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Benchmark
Electronics, Inc. are incorporated herein by reference.

This Registration Statement is filed solely to register additional securities of
the same class as the securities registered pursuant to the effective
Registration Statements referenced above relating to an employee benefit plan.

                                      -2-
SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Angleton, State of Texas, on November 6, 1998.

                                          BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.

                                          By: /s/ DONALD E. NIGBOR
                                                  Donald E. Nigbor
                                                  President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated.
NAME                            POSITION                              DATE                
     --------------                -----------------------                   -----------
Chairman of the                                          
     John C. Custer                  Board of Directors                                         
                                                                                                
 /s/ DONALD E. NIGBOR              Director and President                   November  6, 1998   
    Donald E. Nigbor            (principal executive officer)                                   
                                                                                                
 /s/ STEVEN A. BARTON              Director and Executive                   November  6, 1998   
    Steven A. Barton                   Vice President                                           
                                                                                                
 /s/ CARY T. FU                    Director and Executive                   November 6, 1998    
    Cary T. Fu                Vice President (principal financial                               
                                   and accounting officer)                                      
                                                                                                
 /s/ PETER G. DORFLINGER                  Director                          November 6, 1998    
   Peter G. Dorflinger                                                                          
                                                                                                
 /s/ GERALD W. BODZY                      Director                          November 6, 1998    
   Gerald W. Bodzy                                                                            
                                                                          
                                          Director               
     David H. Arnold
-3-
EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT
NUMBER      DESCRIPTION
-------     -----------

5           Opinion of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. regarding the legality of
            the shares of Common Stock covered by this Registration Statement.

23.1        Consent of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. (included in the opinion
            filed as Exhibit 5 hereto).

23.2        Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.

                                      -4-