PC shipments crash 20% as AI-driven memory prices bite

Global PC shipments fell about 20% year-over-year in Q3 2026, with Omdia estimating a 21.2% drop to 58.1 million units and IDC a 20.1% drop to 62.7 million. Memory and storage now account for nearly 40% of a PC's material cost, up from around 15%, while AI features fail to convince buyers.

• Omdia: 58.1 million PCs shipped, down 21.2%, the steepest drop since Q1 2023
• IDC: 62.7 million units, 9.1% lower than Q2
• DRAM and SSDs now make up nearly 40% of PC material cost, up from ~15%
• Apple Mac shipments fell 11.3%; HP took the biggest hit at around 31%