2026-01-23 00:43:52

The PC shipment picture just got darker for the next couple years. Global forecasters are now calling for PC shipments to contract 5% in 2026, then crawl back with just 3% growth in 2027 – a significant downgrade from earlier predictions that had both years in positive territory.

What's driving this reset? A few converging factors: memory prices are climbing, which inflates PC production costs. You've also got the Windows 10 end-of-life kicking in – sure, it should prompt some refresh cycles, but the replacement demand has basically flatlined compared to what people expected. And there's a demand timing issue: a chunk of orders got pulled forward into Q4 2025, meaning less pent-up buying power heading into 2026.

So if you're tracking hardware supply chains or thinking about how infrastructure costs might shift – this reshuffling in the PC market is worth keeping tabs on. Tighter margins, delayed replacement cycles, memory supply dynamics – all of it feeds into the broader tech ecosystem.

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MetaMisery

· 11h ago

Another cold winter warning... The PC market is really cooling down Memory prices are still rising, and the discontinuation of Win10 can't save it. Orders are being pre-emptively overdrawn, making 2026 even more difficult It feels like the entire hardware supply chain needs to be reshuffled, with profit margins squeezed tightly Honestly, there’s no good news to be found

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ContractBugHunter

· 11h ago

Memory prices are rising again, is the PC market about to collapse? We've seen it coming long ago; the expectations that Windows 10 would be discontinued haven't been fulfilled at all.

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just_vibin_onchain

· 11h ago

Damn, the PC market is really cooling down... memory prices keep rising, who would still buy a new computer --- Retiring Windows 10 can't save it either, anyway everyone has procrastination issues --- Orders have already been moved up to Q4 for consumption, what to do next year... the supply chain will have to be messed with again --- Now it's good, the marginal cost of hardware is rising, and in the end, consumers will have to pay the bill --- A 5% decline doesn't sound like much, but the actual ripple effects will be quite painful --- Memory is still bottlenecked, the chip industry chain really hasn't learned how to optimize

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fomo_fighter

· 11h ago

It's starting to shrink again, the PC market is really disappointing. Memory prices are soaring, orders are overdrafted until the end of 2025... How will 2026 be played Friends in the PC industry chain, you need to stay alert. This downturn is not just a short-term shake The expiration of Windows 10 isn't as dramatic as expected, quite unfortunate

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TopBuyerBottomSeller

· 11h ago

The PC market is struggling again, and memory price hikes are really intense. It's going to be even harder in 2026. Windows 10 end of support can't save it either, just shows everyone started stockpiling early. Memory prices have risen this wave, and the pressure on the supply chain is enormous. Wait, does this mean memory prices will continue to rise? Can't they be cheaper... Really? Last year's orders were pushed to the end of the year, how will we play this year? Is this just supply chain optimization? It feels more like a disruption chain. PC manufacturers' gross profit margins are going to be cut, hardware profits are already thin. It feels like demand was overdrafted early, and 2026 is destined to be cold. Memory chips are going to increase in price again... how to break this cycle? They say replacement demand can't be boosted, so chip manufacturers will have to cut prices.

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