PC Sales Surge in Q1 2026 as Consumers Rush to Avoid RAM Price Hikes

The looming threat of AI-driven price hikes for memory and storage has driven a surge in PC purchases, with consumers racing to upgrade before costs escalate. According to Counterpoint Research, global PC shipments grew 3.2% year-over-year in Q1 2026, driven by two key factors: pre-emptive buying ahead of memory-led price increases and Microsoft’s discontinuation of Windows 10 support in 2025.

Total sales for the quarter reached 63.3 million units, with demand particularly strong among five major PC manufacturers: Lenovo, ASUS, Apple, HP, and Dell.

• Lenovo led the market with a 26% share, though sales growth was seen across nearly all companies except HP, which experienced a 5% year-over-year decline.
• Apple saw an 11% increase in PC sales, fueled by updates to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with M5 chips and the launch of the $600 MacBook Neo. Counterpoint Research suggests these updates could further boost sales in Q2 2026.

Despite the positive sales figures, the PC industry remains under significant pressure. Counterpoint Senior Analyst Minsoo Kang warns that aggressive investments in AI infrastructure are driving up component costs, which will likely lead to higher prices for CPUs and other critical PC parts.

"The aggressive expansion in AI infrastructure investment is driving up overall component costs, which will likely impact the pricing of CPUs and other key components in PCs. Ultimately, the sustained upward pressure on costs and the resulting hike in retail prices are expected to have a significant negative impact on the PC market’s growth in 2026."

The industry’s concerns align with broader warnings about RAM and storage shortages. In December 2025, IDC predicted PC shipments could drop by as much as 8.9% in 2026 due to rising RAM prices. By March 2026, the forecast was revised to a 11.6% decline.

While consumers may not yet feel the full impact of these price hikes, new announcements of cost increases continue to surface regularly. For example, Meta recently raised the prices of its Quest headsets, signaling that consumers may soon face higher costs across multiple tech categories.