Global personal computer shipments fell approximately 20 percent in the third quarter of 2026, marking the steepest decline since Q1 2023. Omdia reported shipments of laptops, desktops and workstations dropped 21.2 percent year over year to 58.1 million devices, while IDC recorded a 20.1 percent decline to 62.7 million units.
Desktop PC shipments fell 23.5 percent to 11.7 million units. Laptop shipments declined 20.6 percent to 46.4 million units, according to Omdia.
The Q3 drop represents the largest year-over-year decline IDC has recorded for a third quarter. Shipments also fell 9.1 percent sequentially from Q2 2026, when 68.2 million units shipped — unusual given that third-quarter PC demand typically outpaces the spring quarter.
The root cause is structural: since 2025, surging demand for high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM from AI workloads has constricted manufacturing capacity for consumer devices. Memory and storage now represent nearly 40 percent of PC bill-of-materials costs, up from a historical 15 percent, according to Ben Yeh, principal analyst at Omdia. PC prices have increased more than fourfold during this period.
"Component cost increases have now fully translated into end-market pricing, influencing consumer and IT decision-maker responses," said Ishan Dutt, Omdia research director. Vendors and their design partners began cutting production in Q3 as channel partners worked through elevated inventory accumulated earlier in the year.
Jitesh Ubrani, research director for consumer devices at IDC, said many PC vendors and sales channels had front-loaded shipments in the first half of 2026, anticipating further memory price hikes. That strategy backfired: minimal demand materialized in Q3. "Channels now express concern about holding excessive inventory in a market where high prices are suppressing consumer demand," Ubrani said. Short-term promotions may offer relief, but prices will remain elevated. IDC expects only modest, brief price decreases as macroeconomic conditions worsen.
