I’ve been keeping an eye on global PC shipments as part of the ongoing RAM crisis for more than a year, and it seems that the component shortage has finally caught up with markets.
Global PC shipments dropped 4% year-over-year in Q2 2026 according to a new study by Counterpoint Research. That drop resulted in roughly 65 million shipments for the quarter, ending a growth run that had held since Q1 2025.
This report lines up with what IDC predicted a few weeks ago: that global PC shipments will decline by 11.3% for the full year. In the same report, IDC analysts also predict that Q4 shipments could fall by a whopping 20% year over year.
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Why are PC shipments dropping?
The culprit behind the drop in PC shipments is the same as the one driving tech prices up seemingly across the board: soaring DRAM and NAND prices, driven largely by the sudden glut of AI data centers around the world.
PC manufacturers have basically had to choose between raising consumer prices and eating raised component costs, and most have chosen the former. It’s no wonder that PC shipments have finally started to drop off.
Counterpoint notes that commercial PC buyers are proving to be the most resilient, helped along by ongoing Windows 11 migration from Windows 10. Without this uptick in PC sales, the overall picture would likely look a lot worse.
ASUS gained the most out of all Windows PC makers
ASUS has undeniably been producing some of the best Windows laptops around lately, and I’m not exactly surprised to see it’s the only Windows PC maker that saw a rise in global shipments.
It improved by 4% year-over-year in Q2 2026, as Lenovo, Dell, HP, and other brands fell by up to 9%. It’s worth noting that Apple had the best quarter, seeing its MacBook shipments climb by an impressive 13%. The popularity of its budget MacBook Neo undoubtedly has something to do with that number.
Counterpoint expects component prices to remain elevated throughout the second half of 2026. That’s bad news for anyone who’s on the lookout for budget PCs, as there are bound to be more price increases as OEMs struggle to maintain margins.
The memory shortage is no longer just a short-term supply problem. It has become a key factor changing the direction of the PC industry. As OEMs face higher component costs, the market will shift toward premium AI PCs, since their better performance and on-device AI features make higher prices easier to accept.
David Naranjo, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research
My best advice for anyone holding out for a cheap Windows PC? Don’t. Just don’t. As I’ve explained in my previous RAM crisis coverage, relief on pricing isn’t expected anytime soon … at least not before the end of 2027.
If your current PC doesn’t seem like it’s going to live through another couple of years of dutiful service, it might be best to buy sooner rather than later despite the inflated costs already hitting consumers.
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