Rising needs for AI system components have burdened manufacturers of PC parts, contributing to the closure of a well-known consumer RAM label. A fresh analysis from the International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates broader repercussions for the overall PC sector. In the most severe projection, IDC expects PC unit volumes to decline by as much as 8.9% in 2026, attributed to soaring memory expenses.
IDC observes that prominent memory producers have prioritized output for AI server applications—like high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DDR5 modules—over boosting supplies of traditional DRAM and NAND for items such as smartphones, PCs, and various consumer devices. This redirection sustains elevated costs for RAM accessible to PC assemblers, forcing them to inflate their offerings' prices to maintain profitability. Modular PC developer Framework, for one, has adjusted upward the costs of select laptops and accessories, indicating that more such adjustments are probable soon. Under the grimmest outlook, IDC foresees overall price hikes of 6 to 8% across the sector in 2026.
The memory supply strain coincides awkwardly with the rollout of 'AI PCs,' which feature dedicated neural processors for executing AI tasks on the device itself and were anticipated to boost the PC market's recovery from pandemic-era lows. Yet, the heightened RAM demands of these systems render them particularly exposed to disruptions from the AI field. Impacts reach other gadgets too; IDC anticipates that, in its gloomiest forecast, average smartphone prices could increase by 6 to 8%, while unit volumes might fall by up to 5.2%.
Per IDC, well-resourced giants like Apple and Samsung, supported by substantial reserves and extended supplier pacts, might absorb the RAM cost pressures and sustain steady operations for one or two years. For remaining industry participants, the short-term outlook involves steeper expenses, which in turn will constrain bold initiatives and exploratory efforts.