PC Prices Stay High Into 2027 as Q3 Shipments Sink 20.1%
Updated
Updated · Computerworld · Oct 12
PC Prices Stay High Into 2027 as Q3 Shipments Sink 20.1%
3 articles · Updated · Computerworld · Oct 12
Summary
IDC said enterprise PC prices are unlikely to ease before 2027, with high memory and component costs, tight supply, geopolitical strain and a weak economy all pressuring the market.
Q3 2026 shipments fell 20.1% year over year as vendors and channel partners worked through inventory built up earlier in anticipation of memory-driven price increases, only to face softer demand.
HP and other makers are leaning toward higher-priced models to protect revenue; low-cost PCs are becoming scarcer, and agentic AI systems such as premium workstations can top $2,500.
AI PCs already made up 40% of overall shipments by Microsoft's estimate and 46% of HP's quarterly shipments, but analysts said many companies are delaying upgrades because most AI workloads still run in the cloud.
Lenovo led Q3 shipments with 14.9 million units despite a 22.6% drop, while HP shipped 10.3 million and Apple proved relatively resilient with a smaller 11.3% decline.