PC shipments dropped over 20 percent in Q3 due to RAM price hikes

<figure> <img alt="Ram piece with red arrow pointing up." data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/STKS523_RAM_SHORTAGE_C.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Demand for new PCs took a hit after months of price hikes, with <a href="https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/global-pc-shipments-plunge-21-percent-in-q3-2026">Counterpoint Research</a> reporting global PC shipments fell 21 percent year-over-year in Q3 2026. That's in line with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1008967/pc-shipments-dropped-around-20-percent-in-q3-analyst-firms-say">earlier reports</a> from IDC and Omdia. It's not just PCs, either - that same quarter, smartphone shipments also <a href="https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/1009588/global-smartphone-sales-just-hit-a-14-year-low">hit a 14-year low</a>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Counterpoint linked the decline in PC shipments to higher component prices. Up until <a href="https://www.theverge.com/business/963069/pc-shipments-fell-for-the-first-time-in-over-two-years-thanks-to-ramageddon">Q2 2026</a>, PC shipments had been growing for over two years straight. But over the last several months, RAM, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/908916/ssd-storage-shortages-price-increases">SSDs</a>, and chips from <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/991285/intel-cpu-price-increase-october">Intel</a>, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/997637/amd-also-has-a-rumored-10-percent-price-hike-coming">AMD</a>, and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/972894/qualcomm-price-hikes-q2-2026-earnings">Qualcomm</a> have all gotten more expensive, leading to price hikes on everything from <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/956903/apple-price-increase-2026-macbook-ipad-mac-home-vision-pro">MacBooks</a> to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1003253/2gb-raspberry-pis-are-getting-pricier">Raspberry Pis</a>. C …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/1017144/global-pc-shipments-dropped-q3-2026-ram">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>