- Global PC shipments are expected to drop sharply as component shortages intensify
- Memory and storage prices are rising, forcing vendors to rethink PC strategies
- Budget PCs face the steepest shipping losses due to tightening component supply
Anyone planning to buy a new work PC in the coming months could see declining availability as supply pressures deepen across the industry, experts have warned.
Research from Omdia shows that global shipments of desktops, notebooks, workstations and even some mini PC designs could drop sharply in 2026.
The expected drop is due to lack of memory and storage, which are big parts of these devices.
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Rising component costs threaten global PC supply
The Omdia report estimates that worldwide PC shipments will decline by 12% to around 245 million units as increases in component prices, particularly memory and storage, are expected to increase by at least 60% during the first quarter of 2026.
Since the beginning of 2025, the price of common memory and storage configurations has already increased by between $90 and $165, putting pressure on manufacturers to raise prices or adjust configurations.
Desktops are expected to decline by about 10% to 53.2 million units shipped, while laptops could decline by 12% to about 192.2 million units.
Suppliers now face difficult trade-offs as supply tightens and production costs continue to rise.
Omdia claims this affects low-end computers more, and systems priced under $500 could see shipments drop 28% to around 62.1 million units in 2026.
Analysts say this segment has less flexibility to absorb price increases without affecting demand.
“For cheaper products, there is less margin room to absorb rising costs, and consumers in this segment are typically more sensitive to price fluctuations,” said Omdia Principal Analyst Ben Yeh.
“Furthermore, products with lower price bands often rely on earlier generation components with lower capabilities and receive lower allocation priority, while facing the obstacle of some suppliers stopping production.”
By contrast, more expensive systems over $900 seem more robust, and “some consumers and IT decision makers will accept higher price points to meet essential needs.”
However, Yeh cautioned that the move toward higher price bands “does not necessarily represent improved product configurations.”
The outlook for 2026 points to a difficult year for the global PC market as component shortages and rising costs continue to impact production and pricing decisions.
Market performance will largely depend on how suppliers manage production, pricing and component allocation, with future market trends remaining uncertain.
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