The PC market experienced unexpected growth in the holiday quarter of 2025, with shipments increasing by nearly 10 percent year-over-year to a total of 76.4 million units, as reported by IDC. This surge in demand, fueled in part by Microsoft’s end of Windows 10 support, comes at a time when the industry is facing challenges related to RAM shortages and rising memory prices.
PC makers have proactively built up inventory to counter the impact of potential tariffs and global memory scarcity. The surge in demand towards the end of 2025 was further intensified by looming memory shortages, prompting both buyers and brands to secure stock before anticipated price hikes in 2026.
Shortages in RAM and NAND/SSD components have been exacerbated by the high demand from AI data centers, leading to price spikes. Companies like Lenovo and HP have been stockpiling memory supplies, but these reserves are expected to deplete in the coming months, likely resulting in price increases and potential adjustments in PC configurations.
In response to the volatile market conditions, IDC forecasts a rise in average selling prices of PCs in 2026. Manufacturers are expected to focus on midrange and premium systems to offset the increased memory costs, indicating a challenging year ahead for the PC market, driven by AI-related demands.
For tech enthusiasts considering a new PC purchase, the advice is to act sooner rather than later this year to potentially avoid higher prices and configuration changes.
Source: The Verge