Global PC Shipments Plunge 20% as Memory Prices Surge, IDC Reports

International market research firm IDC announced that worldwide personal computer shipments contracted by 20 percent year‑over‑year in the third quarter, marking one of the steepest declines the sector has recorded in recent memory.

The slump follows a dramatic shift in component costs, with the combined price share of dynamic random‑access memory (DRAM) and solid‑state drives (SSD) climbing from roughly 15 percent of a PC’s bill of materials to about 40 percent over the past year. Analysts attribute the rise to persistent supply constraints and heightened demand for high‑performance memory across both consumer and enterprise devices.

The phenomenon, often dubbed the “RAMpocalypse,” began when a confluence of factors—including factory outages, geopolitical tensions and a surge in data‑center expansion—tightened the supply of DRAM chips. Manufacturers, facing limited inventory, passed the heightened costs onto system builders, inflating the overall price of new computers and prompting many buyers to delay purchases.

Retailers and OEMs have responded by encouraging customers to stockpile devices while inventories remain available, a strategy that could eventually soften prices if excess stock accumulates. However, even with potential discounts on the horizon, current pricing remains markedly above pre‑crisis levels, keeping many consumers on the sidelines and pressuring businesses that rely on bulk PC acquisitions.

Looking ahead, IDC cautions that the recovery of PC shipments will depend on the stabilization of memory markets and the pace at which manufacturers can diversify their supply chains. Should DRAM and SSD costs recede, the sector may see a gradual rebound, but analysts warn that lingering inventory gaps and continued demand for high‑specification devices could keep the market under pressure for the remainder of the year.