Global PC Shipments Fell 21 Percent in Q3 as RAM and Component Prices Rose
Market analyst Counterpoint Research reports that global PC shipments dropped 21 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2026. The decline is tied to rising component costs, and no quick recovery is expected.
Worldwide personal computer shipments fell 21 percent in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to technology market analyst Counterpoint Research. The figure suggests demand for new PCs has weakened after months of price increases. It is in line with earlier reports from the research firms IDC and Omdia.
Until the second quarter of 2026, PC shipments had grown for more than two years in a row. In recent months, however, memory (RAM), SSD storage and chips from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm have all become more expensive, pushing up prices on devices ranging from Apple's MacBooks to Raspberry Pi mini computers. Smartphone shipments also reached a 14-year low in the same quarter.
How manufacturers are responding
Counterpoint senior analyst Minsoo Kang said some companies are prioritizing configurations that can better absorb component inflation. That leaves fewer affordable choices for price-sensitive buyers. Some manufacturers are even bringing back older technology, such as DDR4 memory and 4GB graphics cards, to limit price increases.
Outlook
The comparison period also played a part. Counterpoint notes that the third quarter of 2025 included purchases made ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline, as well as tariff-related inventory adjustments, which sharpened this year's drop. Counterpoint associate director David Naranjo said global shipments are expected to fall 27 percent in the fourth quarter of 2026 and stay broadly flat in 2027. In his words, stabilization should not be mistaken for recovery.
