PC prices to remain elevated until end of 2027

IDC has bad news for enterprises upgrading PCs: don’t expect prices to come down any time soon. PC prices are already high due to constrained supplies and surging memory and component costs. Geopolitical tensions and an uncertain global economy won’t make the situation any better. “A weaker economy could soften demand further, and with prices still high and supply constrained, the outlook for the remainder of 2026 and going into 2027 could deteriorate,” IDC analysts said in a press release last week. The third quarter of 2026 was a disaster for PC makers, with shipments falling 20.1% year over year. PC makers and their channel partners stocked up on inventory earlier in the year ahead of memory-driven price hikes. The focus in the third quarter was on clearing out that leftover inventory amid dried-up demand. “Channels are now worried about carrying too much inventory into a market where high prices are suppressing demand,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a research director at IDC. Within the existing inventory, low-cost PCs are harder to find. For example, HP is making higher-priced PCs a larger part of its product mix so it can generate higher revenue amid declining PC shipments. HP’s chie…

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