The PC market just crashed as unsold systems pile up

Asus ExpertBook Ultra.Credit: Jon Fingas / How-To Geek Published Oct 9, 2026, 12:59 PM EDT Jon is a seasoned journalist who has written definitive coverage of consumer tech at publications like Engadget, Android Authority, and BetaKit. He's an expert on making tech accessible ranging from mobile and PCs to emerging platforms like wearables. When he's not writing, he's going on adventures with ihis family and is an avid photographer. Sign in to your How-To Geek account The PC market was already rough, but it just got worse. IDC estimates that PC shipments plunged 20.1% year-over-year in the summer (third quarter) this year, and that the situation isn't likely to get better any time soon. PC brands shipped just 62.7 million computers in Q3 2026. That not only represented a steep yearly drop, but a 9.1% shortfall compared to Q2 this year. Summer demand is usually supposed to be stronger but was thrown off this time, IDC says. Researchers blamed the slump on the combination of surging memory prices, supply chain shortages, and the resulting overstock headaches. Companies shipped a flood of PCs earlier in the year to avoid price increases, but now those higher costs are hurting demand and leading to a pile-up of unsold systems. That could lead to temporary discounts to move PCs, but prices won't be "anywhere near" the same period last year, IDC research director Jitesh Ubrani says. Some PC makers suffered more than others. HP fared the worst with a large 30.9% year-over-year drop, but Dell and Lenovo also took bruisings with respective 22.6% and 25% drops. Apple and Asus took gentler hits, but that still meant declines of 11.3% and 8.6% respectively. The shift helped Apple and Asus gain market share, with the two climbing to 9.3% and 8.7% respective slices in Q3. Lenovo (23.8%), HP (16.3%), and Dell (12.1%) all saw their share dip. IDC doesn't explain the differences, but there are some potential elements at work. Dell, HP, and Lenovo all have large ranges of low-cost PCs, where a price hike is more likely to spook would-be buyers. Apple only just entered the budget realm with the hot-selling MacBook Neo, and most of its lineup consists of high-end systems like the MacBook Pro that are more insulated from the effects of higher prices. Asus has its own high-end mix like the ROG gaming series and some Zenbook models. The future isn't looking bright You might still need to buy now Don't expect a turnaround in the near term. IDC forecasts that demand could fall lower for the rest of 2026 and beyond given that the global economy and other conditions are worse this fall. Prices are poised to stay high, too. There's a concern the PC industry's outlook "gets worse before it gets better," Ubrani says. In practice, this suggests that you'll still want to buy now if you need a PC soon. Prices won't go down, and might continue to inch upward for months. If you can afford to wait, however, you might want to. IDC and other analysts don't expect conditions to improve until 2027 at the earliest. As such, there's no point to buying a new PC if your existing system meets your needs.