PC Shipments Plunge 20% in Q3 2026 as Memory Crisis Bites

Did you just buy a new PC? If so, you might want to hold onto it—because the latest numbers from IDC show the PC market is in serious trouble. Worldwide shipments dropped a whopping 20.1% in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, falling from 78.5 million units to just 62.7 million.

So, what's behind this massive slump? Blame the ongoing memory and supply chain crisis, which has been supercharged by AI server demand. But there's more to it: vendors spent the first half of the year stockpiling inventory in anticipation of price hikes, which essentially borrowed sales from the second half. As IDC puts it, this "left Q3 starved of demand" and broke the usual seasonal pattern where Q3 outpaces Q2.

If you're hoping for a quick fix, don't hold your breath. IDC warns that while promotions could pop up in the near term due to high inventory and soft demand, prices will stay well above last year's levels. And the bigger risk? A worsening economic backdrop could push demand even lower, darkening the outlook for the rest of 2026 and into 2027.

IDC research director Jitesh Ubrani summed it up: "Channels are now worried about carrying too much inventory into a market where high prices are suppressing demand. That could translate into promotions and some short-term relief for consumers... but we don't expect pricing anywhere near what it was a year ago. Prices will remain elevated. With macro conditions worsening, the risk is that the outlook for the next few quarters gets worse before it gets better."

The pain wasn't felt evenly across the board. Lenovo, HP, and Dell all fell faster than the overall market, collectively losing 4.2 points of share. HP took the hardest hit, dropping from 19.1% to 16.5%. Lenovo remains the top PC shipper, followed by HP and Dell in second and third. Apple came in fourth with an 11.3% drop in growth, and Asus rounded out the top five with an 8.6% decline.

Given that experts like Micron's CEO have been warning of worsening conditions, none of this is exactly shocking. But it does mean PC pricing is likely screwed for a while yet. As IDC sums up: "Promotions are possible. However, prices are expected to remain elevated and well above where they were at the same time last year."

So, what do you think? Are you holding off on that new PC build, or will you bite the bullet despite the prices? Let us know in the comments.