PC Shipments Slide 21% in Q3 as Costs Climb, Worse Drop Looms

WHO:

Techmeme - Minsoo Kang of Counterpoint Research reported on global PC shipments and vendor performance.

Wccftech - Counterpoint Research Associate Director David Naranjo said the PC industry is undergoing a “period of structural adjustment.”

Wccftech - The vendors discussed were Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, and ASUS.

WHAT:

Techmeme - Global PC shipments fell 21% year over year to 57 million units.

Wccftech - Shipments fell to 57 million units from 72.2 million units in Q3 2025.

Wccftech - Lenovo shipped 15 million units, held 26.3% market share, and declined 23% year over year.

Wccftech - HP shipped 10.3 million units, held 18.1% share, and declined 31%, the largest fall among the top six vendors.

Wccftech - Dell shipped 7.6 million units, held 13.3% share, and declined 25%.

Wccftech - Apple shipped 5.6 million units, declined 11%, and held 9.8% share, up from 8.7% a year earlier. Wccftech said the MacBook Neo helped cushion the decline.

Wccftech - ASUS shipped 5.2 million units, declined 7% year over year, and increased 19.4% quarter over quarter. Its share rose to 9.2% from 7.8% a year earlier.

Wccftech - Counterpoint Research forecast a 27% year-over-year shipment decline in Q4 2026 and broadly flat full-year shipments in 2027 compared with 2026.

Wccftech - Kang said, “The global PC market is facing mounting pressure as rising memory and component costs push system prices higher and force consumers to delay replacement purchases.”

Wccftech - Naranjo said stabilization “should not be mistaken for recovery.”

Wccftech - Counterpoint Research estimated DRAM and NAND price increases would soften by the first half of 2027. Wccftech also reported that Micron said shortages would persist until 2028.

WHERE:

Techmeme - The reported figures cover the global PC market.

Wccftech - The shipment and forecast figures cover the global PC market.

WHY:

Techmeme - Elevated memory and other component costs pushed PC prices higher and constrained demand.

Wccftech - The article attributed supply pressure and higher component prices partly to AI demand consuming DRAM and NAND supply.

Wccftech - Higher prices, fewer affordable configurations, and longer replacement cycles made purchases harder to justify, particularly for price-sensitive buyers.

HOW:

Wccftech - Commercial refresh cycles, Windows migration, and office fleet migration provided some support but did not offset the broader market contraction.

Wccftech - Kang said Apple and ASUS outperformed the broader market through differentiated product portfolios and competitive positioning.

(UPDATED October 23, 2026 20:05 UTC)

Global PC shipments plunged 21% year over year to 57 million units, as rising memory and component costs pushed prices up and consumers delayed replacing computers. Lenovo remained the largest vendor, shipping 15 million units for a 26.3% share, despite a 23% decline. HP shipped 10.3 million, down 31%, the steepest drop among the top six; Dell fell 25% to 7.6 million. Apple shipped 5.6 million units, down 11%, while its market share rose to 9.8%, helped by the MacBook Neo. ASUS shipments declined 7% to 5.2 million, but its share also increased. Counterpoint Research says AI demand is adding pressure to memory supplies. It forecasts shipments will fall 27% in the fourth quarter of 2026, with full-year shipments broadly flat in 2027. Researchers caution that stabilization would not mean recovery.