IDC: Q3 2026 PC Shipments Fell 20.1% Year-on-Year
Global PC shipments dropped to 62.7 million units in Q3 2026, while TrendForce forecasts further notebook declines in 2027.
Global PC shipments fell 20.1% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, according to IDC. Shipments declined from 78.5 million units in Q3 2025 to 62.7 million units in Q3 2026.
TrendForce projects that global notebook shipments will decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2027. The research firm also stated that in a typical $900 mid-to-upper-range notebook, 68% of the bill of materials is taken up by the CPU, RAM and SSD.
IDC predicts PC prices will remain elevated and the outlook for the next few quarters could worsen before improving. The reports were covered by PC Gamer and Wccftech.
Earlier slowdown
The decline follows a 3.8% year-on-year drop in PC shipments in the previous quarter, according to IDC's Q2 report. Buyers purchased laptops earlier in 2026 out of fear of incoming price hikes, reducing later sales. A RAM crisis and rising component prices for memory, storage and CPUs are driving up PC costs.
Quick answers
How much did PC shipments fall in Q3 2026?
IDC reported a 20.1% year-on-year decline, from 78.5 million units in Q3 2025 to 62.7 million units in Q3 2026.
What is the outlook for notebook shipments in 2027?
TrendForce projects a low-single-digit percentage decline in global notebook shipments in 2027.
Why are PC prices expected to stay high?
IDC says prices will remain elevated, partly due to rising component costs such as memory, storage and CPUs.