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Global PC shipments fell 21% in Q3 as RAM and chip prices rose
Counterpoint Research told The Verge that global PC shipments dropped 21 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2026 as higher memory, storage and processor prices cut demand.
- New headline Was: “PC shipments dropped over 20 percent in Q3 due to RAM price hikes”
- Our desk filed its story
Global PC shipments fell 21 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research as reported by The Verge on Thursday1.
The research firm tied the decline to months of higher prices for RAM, solid-state drives and processors from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm, which The Verge said have pushed up prices on products from MacBooks to Raspberry Pi boards1.
The Verge said Counterpoint's figure is in line with earlier reports from IDC and Omdia, and that smartphone shipments also hit a 14-year low in the same quarter1.
Until the second quarter of 2026, PC shipments had been growing for more than two years, The Verge reported1.
Counterpoint senior analyst Minsoo Kang said some companies are shifting to configurations that can better absorb component inflation, leaving fewer affordable options for price-sensitive buyers1.
The Verge said some vendors are bringing back older parts such as DDR4 memory and 4GB graphics cards to blunt the price increases1.
Counterpoint also said the year-over-year drop looks sharper because the third quarter of 2025 included purchases ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline and tariff-related inventory adjustments1.
Associate director David Naranjo said global shipments are expected to plunge 27 percent in the fourth quarter of 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027, and that stabilization should not be mistaken for recovery1.
