PC shipments plunge more than 20 percent as memory prices bite

[Static Estuary]

The PC market is having a terrible year. Engadget's Lawrence Bonk reports that Counterpoint Research says global PC shipments fell 21 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2026, from more than 70 million units to about 57 million

Shipments also fell 13.8 percent compared with the previous quarter, and Counterpoint expects a fall of around 27 percent in the fourth quarter. It thinks 2027 will look much the same, which is grim news for the industry

The causes are rising component prices, driven by the memory shortage linked to AI data centres, along with global tariffs. Senior analyst Minsoo Kang says buyers are delaying replacements rather than paying higher prices. IDC separately reported a similar decline of 20.1 percent

Every big brand suffered. Market leader Lenovo fell 23 percent, HP dropped 31 percent and Dell fell 25 percent. Apple fell only 11 percent and gained market share, helped by the MacBook Neo, while ASUS had the smallest drop at 7 percent

This follows everything we have discussed about memory shortages, from the RTX 5090 to the PS6 and next Xbox. AI demand is reshaping the whole hardware market. For ordinary buyers, it means higher prices and longer waits for upgrades

Are you delaying a PC upgrade because of prices? And how long will the memory shortage last?

PC shipments are in the toilet, plunging over 20 percent from last year - Engadgetwww.engadget.com

[BetaMyles75]

Apple gaining share during a slump is interesting. The MacBook Neo must be good value. Apple's own chips may help with costs. Controlling your own silicon is a big advantage right now