PC Prices Rising Quickly and Sales Plunging as Market Faces Another Blow

The PC market is heading into its toughest period in years. Memory prices are climbing as AI servers absorb supply, buyers are putting off upgrades, and analysts do not expect a recovery even in 2027.

Global PC shipments fell 21% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, to 57 million devices. The decline could accelerate to 27% at the end of the year as memory and other components get more expensive.

According to preliminary data from Counterpoint Research, manufacturers shipped 72.2 million PCs a year earlier. Rising DRAM and NAND prices stem partly from manufacturing capacity being redirected toward data centers and AI infrastructure. PC makers have to raise prices, cut the specs of budget models, or absorb the extra costs. Gartner forecasts that by the end of 2026, the cost of DRAM and SSDs could rise by 130%, and average PC prices could rise by 17% compared with 2025.

HP was hit hardest, with shipments down 31% to 10.3 million devices. Dell’s shipments fell 25% and Lenovo’s fell 23%. Apple cut shipments by 11%, and ASUS by 7%.

For the fourth quarter, Counterpoint expects shipments to drop 27% year over year. Even corporate purchases will not offset the decline in consumer demand, as buyers increasingly postpone upgrades when their old PC still works.

A quick market recovery is not expected in 2027 either. Memory price growth may slow in the first half of the year, but Counterpoint forecasts that PC sales will stay roughly at 2026 levels.