Global PC Shipments Plunge 21% in Q3 as RAM Costs Surge

Worldwide shipments of personal computers fell sharply in the third quarter of 2026, shrinking by 21 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data released by market analyst firm Counterpoint Research.

The decline mirrors findings from other industry trackers, including IDC and Omdia, which have reported similar year‑over‑year drops for the same quarter. The contraction marks the steepest quarterly fall since the pandemic‑driven boom of 2020 and signals a cooling of demand that had been buoyed by remote‑work and gaming trends.

Analysts point to soaring memory prices as the primary catalyst. Prices for dynamic random‑access memory (DRAM) have risen sharply over the past several months, driven by heightened demand from data‑center operators and artificial‑intelligence workloads that compete with consumer devices for the same silicon. The resulting cost pressure has forced PC manufacturers to raise retail prices or absorb margins, both of which have dampened consumer appetite for upgrades.

Manufacturers are responding in varied ways. Some have delayed the launch of new models, while others are emphasizing lower‑spec configurations to keep price points attractive. The squeeze is also prompting a shift toward alternative form factors, such as tablets and Chromebooks, which can be built with less memory or use more cost‑effective components.

The slowdown is not confined to PCs. The same quarter saw a dip in global smartphone shipments, suggesting that elevated component costs are reverberating across the broader consumer‑electronics market. Industry observers caution that if memory prices remain elevated, the recovery of PC sales could be delayed further, while a reversal may hinge on supply‑chain adjustments and the rollout of next‑generation memory technologies later in the year.