Global PC shipments dropped 21 percent in Q3 due to RAM prices

The global personal computer market has suffered a major downturn after months of relentless component price increases. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, worldwide PC shipments fell 21 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026, aligning closely with previous findings published by IDC and Omdia.

The hardware crunch extends well beyond computers. During the exact same quarter, global smartphone shipments slumped to a 14-year low. Consumer demand for new devices took a direct hit as buyers faced prolonged price escalations across multiple consumer electronics categories.

Prior to this slump, the PC market had enjoyed more than two years of consecutive growth leading up to the second quarter of 2026. However, costs for RAM, solid-state drives, and processors from major manufacturers including Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm began climbing rapidly over recent months, forcing price increases across devices ranging from MacBooks to Raspberry Pi units.

The simultaneous price surges in memory modules and processors highlight persistent supply chain cost pressures within the semiconductor industry. When hardware makers resort to utilizing older technologies like DDR4 memory or scaling back component specifications just to maintain price points, it underscores the severe impact of component inflation on budget-conscious consumer markets.

Minsoo Kang, a senior analyst at Counterpoint, noted that several hardware companies are now shifting their product strategies to prioritize configurations capable of absorbing component inflation. This shift leaves fewer affordable options for price-sensitive buyers, with some firms even reviving older technologies such as DDR4 RAM and 4GB GPUs to mitigate rising retail costs.