PC Shipments Tumble More Than 20% Amid Rising RAM Costs
WHO:
The Verge - Counterpoint Research reported the global PC shipment figures.
The Verge - Counterpoint senior analyst Minsoo Kang said companies are shifting to “prioritize configurations that can better absorb component inflation,” leaving fewer affordable options for price-sensitive buyers.
The Verge - Counterpoint associate director David Naranjo said stabilization “should not be mistaken for recovery.”
The Verge - IDC and Omdia had also reported a decline in PC shipments.
The Verge - Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm chips were among the components that had become more expensive.
WHAT:
The Verge - Global PC shipments fell 21 percent year over year in Q3 2026, in line with earlier reports from IDC and Omdia.
The Verge - Smartphone shipments reached a 14-year low during the same quarter.
The Verge - PC shipments had grown for more than two years through Q2 2026, before declining.
The Verge - Counterpoint expected global PC shipments to plunge 27% in Q4 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027.
Engadget - PC shipments plunged over 20 percent compared with the previous year; the decline could reach 27 percent toward the end of 2026.
WHY:
The Verge - Counterpoint linked the PC shipment decline to higher component prices, including RAM, SSDs, and chips.
The Verge - Counterpoint said Q3 2025 included “purchases ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline and tariff-related inventory adjustments,” contributing to the year-over-year decline.
Engadget - The article attributed the continuing pressure on PC shipments to rising prices.
HOW:
The Verge - Higher component costs led to price increases on products ranging from MacBooks to Raspberry Pis.
The Verge - Some companies revived older technology, including DDR4 RAM and 4GB GPUs, to mitigate price increases.
The Verge - Some companies shifted product configurations to better absorb component inflation, reducing affordable options for price-sensitive buyers.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 16:22 UTC)
Global PC shipments fell 21 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research, matching declines reported by IDC and Omdia. The drop followed more than two years of shipment growth through the second quarter. Counterpoint attributed the slide to rising costs for memory, storage drives, and processors from companies including Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. A comparison with a strong third quarter last year also contributed: buyers had stocked up ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline, while companies adjusted inventory over tariffs. Higher costs have driven price increases on products from MacBooks to Raspberry Pis. Some manufacturers are turning back to older components, such as DDR4 memory and 4GB graphics cards. Others are prioritizing configurations that absorb cost increases, leaving fewer affordable choices.