PC shipments fall 22.4% worldwide, Gartner reports

Rising memory and storage costs pushed up prices and limited the supply of cheaper computers in the third quarter of 2026

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 55.4 million units in the third quarter of 2026, a 22.4% decline from the same period in 2025. According to preliminary estimates from Gartner, the volume returned to the level recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

The consultancy attributes the decline to higher computer prices, following rising component costs. The six largest manufacturers all recorded shipment declines during the period.

According to Namrata Banerjee, research director at Gartner, DRAM memory costs quintupled in the second quarter compared to the previous year. Manufacturers passed this increase on to buyers, which contributed to the drop in shipments over the following three months.

Higher prices make it harder to replace computers

Although volume returned to early-2023 levels, Gartner identifies different causes for the decline. Back then, the market was dealing with excess inventory. Now, the consultancy points to higher prices and changes in equipment supply.

According to the analysis, manufacturers began prioritizing the use of scarce components and more expensive configurations. As a result, the availability of lower-priced computers declined, making it harder for consumers to replace their devices.

Among businesses, spending concentrated on specific investments, such as workstations and AI-enabled PCs. Broader computer refresh cycles lost ground in this scenario.

Lenovo retains lead in PC shipments

Lenovo remained in first place, with about 15 million units and a 27.1% market share. Its shipments fell 22.4%, in line with the global result.

HP held on to second place but posted the steepest decline among the six leading manufacturers: 30.9%. The company shipped approximately 10.4 million computers to distribution channels.

Gartner links HP's performance to its exposure to more price-sensitive consumers and the conventional commercial market.

Dell came in third, with about 7.6 million units and a 25.4% decline. Apple, meanwhile, posted the smallest drop among the six leaders: 7.1%, with approximately 5.8 million computers.

Apple's market share rose from 8.8% to 10.5%, a gain of 1.7 percentage points. According to the consultancy, the result was driven by its conventional MacBook lineup.

ASUS and Acer rounded out the group, with declines of 13% and 11.2%, respectively.

Source: Gartner. Preliminary estimates from October 2026.

Survey measures shipments to distribution channels

The data include desktops and notebooks running Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS. The statistics measure shipments to distribution channels, not purchases made by end consumers.

The results are preliminary and subject to revision. In addition, any differences in totals may be due to rounding.