The global personal computer market continues to experience severe pressure due to a prolonged shortage of RAM. According to a fresh report by Counterpoint Research, in the second quarter of 2026, PC shipments decreased by 4% compared to the same period last year, totaling 65 million units.
This was further evidence that the recovery period, which began in the first quarter of 2025, has ended. Analysts attribute the main reason for the decline to the ongoing crisis in the DRAM market, which led to a sharp increase in memory costs and, as a result, a noticeable rise in the price of finished computers.
Despite the release of new platforms based on Intel Core Series 3 (18A) processors, updated AMD Ryzen families, and Apple MacBook Neo laptops, consumer demand remains weak. According to Counterpoint Research, DRAM prices have more than doubled, which has negatively affected not only the PC market but also the smartphone and gaming console segments.
The five largest manufacturers still control 78% of the global PC market:
- Lenovo — 25.6% of the market (shipments decreased by 2% to 16.6 million units)
- HP — 20% of the market (-8%)
- Dell — 14.3% of the market (-6%)
- Apple — 10.5% of the market (+13%)
- ASUS — 7.4% of the market (+4%)
Lenovo maintained its leading position thanks to its purchasing scale and stable relationships with component suppliers, which allowed the company to partially mitigate the effects of the memory shortage.
HP showed the largest decline among the leaders. Analysts explain this by the company's high dependence on the mass consumer segment and mid-range corporate PCs, which are most sensitive to rising component costs.
Dell also ended the quarter in the red, although its focus on corporate clients helped avoid a more significant decline due to stable business spending on IT infrastructure upgrades.
At the same time, Apple showed the best result among the largest manufacturers. The 13% increase in shipments is associated with the successful launch of the MacBook Neo line. ASUS also strengthened its position thanks to an early transition to new hardware platforms and active promotion of AI-powered PCs – from affordable Vivobook to professional ProArt.
David Naranjo, Deputy Director of Counterpoint Research, noted that the memory shortage has ceased to be a temporary problem and is already having a fundamental impact on the industry's development.
According to him, manufacturers will increasingly focus on premium PCs with built-in AI agents, as high performance and integrated artificial intelligence features make it easier to justify price increases. At the same time, corporate demand will remain relatively stable due to the transition to new versions of Windows and the expanded use of AI, while the mass consumer market will likely continue to experience pressure until component costs decrease.