Global PC Market Decline Accelerates as Shipments Fall 20.1%

    The number of personal computers (PCs) shipped worldwide in the 3rd quarter of 2026 fell 20.1% compared with the same period last year. According to IDC's estimates, 15.8 million fewer computers were brought to market. Shipments also declined 9.1% compared with the previous quarter. In the 2nd quarter of 2026, the year-over-year decline was only 3.8%. The latest result shows that the market downturn has accelerated considerably.    Manufacturers stocked their warehouses with more products in the 2nd quarter of 2026 ahead of an expected price increase. As a result, orders declined in the 3rd quarter, which is usually stronger than the previous quarter. During the same period, artificial intelligence data centers increased demand for the high-speed memory known as HBM, which is needed for graphics processors. Memory manufacturers redirected production capacity to this area, leaving fewer chips for conventional computers.    This situation has increased prices for memory sold to ordinary consumers by as much as 500% in some cases. A 128 GB DDR5 memory kit can now cost as much as $3,399 (approximately AZN 5,780). Micron discontinued its Crucial RAM and SSD brand at the end of 2025 to focus more on data centers. As higher computer prices have weakened demand, sellers are concerned that too many products will remain in warehouses.    The market's 3 largest manufacturers suffered more serious losses. Lenovo's shipments fell 22.6%, while its market share stood at 23.8%. HP's shipments declined 30.9%, and its market share fell to 16.5%. Dell recorded a 25% decline and a market share of 12.1%. Apple's shipments fell 11.3%, while Asus's figure declined 8.6%. Other manufacturers posted a combined decline of 14%.    There may be discounts in the coming months to clear out inventories, but prices are not expected to return to last year's levels. According to some forecasts, the shortage could continue until 2029. Acer CEO Jason Chen believes that PC prices will fall in the 2nd half of 2027 as Chinese memory manufacturers increase production. In his view, only high-end memory such as LPDDR5X-9600 and less common processors such as Nvidia N1 and N1X may remain in short supply.