Global PC Shipments Drop 4% in Q2 2026 to 65M Units as Rising Memory Costs Squeeze the MarketGlobal PC shipments contracted 4% year-over-year to 65 million units in the second quarter of 2026, marking the market's first year-over-year decline since Q1 2025, according to a report from Counterpoint Research. The primary catalyst behind the market contraction stems from persistent cost pressures in component supply chains, specifically sharp price increases in RAM and storage modules.
The top three market leaders Lenovo (25.6%), HP (20%), and Dell (14.3%) all experienced shipment declines compared to the same period last year. However, two vendors defied the broader market slump:
Apple: Surged 13% year-over-year, propelled by strong consumer demand for the newly introduced MacBook Neo.
ASUS: Grew 4% year-over-year, benefiting from an early, aggressive portfolio expansion of Arm-based AI PCs across multiple price tiers.
Counterpoint noted that while memory price volatility began to moderate during Q2 2026 compared to the steep price spikes seen in Q1, elevated component costs continue to force OEMs to raise average selling prices (ASPs) a trend already initiated by Apple disproportionately impacting budget-conscious and entry-level consumers.
How do rising DRAM and NAND prices impact the economics of PC manufacturing? Because memory accounts for a higher percentage of the bill of materials (BOM) in budget laptops than in premium devices, PC manufacturers face a difficult choice: absorb the reduced profits or pass on the increased costs to consumers. This dynamic has resulted in declining sales of entry-level computers, while premium product lines remain relatively resilient.
ASUS's 4% growth underscores its strategic shift towards Arm-native processors (e.g., the Qualcomm Snapdragon X platform). Arm chips offer excellent battery life and thermal performance at competitive manufacturing costs, enabling manufacturers to deliver attractive AI-enabled laptops despite rising traditional x86 component costs.
Apple's 13% growth amidst a shrinking market reinforces its brand strength and pricing power. Through the use of its custom-designed Apple Silicon chips and targeted new hardware launches like the MacBook Neo, Apple successfully attracts mid-to-premium consumer segments while managing supply chain costs more efficiently than typical x86 computer manufacturers.
Source: Counterpoint
Global PC Shipments Drop 4% in Q2 2026 to 65M Units as Rising Memory Costs Squeeze the MarketGlobal PC shipments contracted 4% year-over-year to 65 million units in the second quarter of 2026, marking the market's first year-over-year decline since Q1 2025, according to a report from Counterpoint Research. The primary catalyst behind the market contraction stems from persistent cost pressures in component supply chains, specifically sharp price increases in RAM and storage modules.
The top three market leaders Lenovo (25.6%), HP (20%), and Dell (14.3%) all experienced shipment declines compared to the same period last year. However, two vendors defied the broader market slump:
Apple: Surged 13% year-over-year, propelled by strong consumer demand for the newly introduced MacBook Neo.
ASUS: Grew 4% year-over-year, benefiting from an early, aggressive portfolio expansion of Arm-based AI PCs across multiple price tiers.
Counterpoint noted that while memory price volatility began to moderate during Q2 2026 compared to the steep price spikes seen in Q1, elevated component costs continue to force OEMs to raise average selling prices (ASPs) a trend already initiated by Apple disproportionately impacting budget-conscious and entry-level consumers.
How do rising DRAM and NAND prices impact the economics of PC manufacturing? Because memory accounts for a higher percentage of the bill of materials (BOM) in budget laptops than in premium devices, PC manufacturers face a difficult choice: absorb the reduced profits or pass on the increased costs to consumers. This dynamic has resulted in declining sales of entry-level computers, while premium product lines remain relatively resilient.
ASUS's 4% growth underscores its strategic shift towards Arm-native processors (e.g., the Qualcomm Snapdragon X platform). Arm chips offer excellent battery life and thermal performance at competitive manufacturing costs, enabling manufacturers to deliver attractive AI-enabled laptops despite rising traditional x86 component costs.
Apple's 13% growth amidst a shrinking market reinforces its brand strength and pricing power. Through the use of its custom-designed Apple Silicon chips and targeted new hardware launches like the MacBook Neo, Apple successfully attracts mid-to-premium consumer segments while managing supply chain costs more efficiently than typical x86 computer manufacturers.
Source: Counterpoint
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