Worried about "stockouts"? Supply concerns force early stockpiling, PC shipments exceed expectations in the peak season of late 2025
NEEDHAM, Mass., January 12, 2026 —
Preliminary data from the latest Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker released by International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that global PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by 9.6% year-on-year, reaching 76.4 million units, bringing a close to a turbulent PC market in 2025.
Looking back at the year, the PC market was affected by multiple factors. On the one hand, the termination of Windows 10 support drove a new round of device upgrade demand; on the other hand, the uncertainty surrounding tariff policies at the beginning of the year prompted manufacturers to pull up inventory and significantly advance their stockpiling pace, resulting in overall shipments exceeding initial expectations.
Although the year-end holiday season typically brings peak demand, the unexpected growth in PC shipments at the end of 2025 was also compounded by a new round of tightening memory supply. To cope with potential upward pressure on memory prices in 2026, brand manufacturers and channel buyers locked up inventory in advance, further pushing up shipment levels for the quarter.
Jean Philippe Bouchard, Vice President of Worldwide Mobile Device Tracking at IDC, stated, As the memory market continues to evolve at an increasingly rapid pace, IDC predicts that the PC market landscape 12 months from now will be significantly different from what it is today. In addition to the upward pressure on overall system prices already publicly mentioned by some manufacturers, the average memory configuration of PCs may also decrease to extend the lifespan of existing inventory. It is foreseeable that the volatility of the PC market will increase significantly in the coming year.
Jitesh Ubrani, Research Manager for IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Tracker, added that the memory shortage is impacting the entire industry, potentially reshaping the PC market landscape over the next two years. Large consumer electronics brands, leveraging their scale and more favorable memory resource allocation, are expected to further capture market share from smaller and regional manufacturers. However, the severity of the shortage also means that some smaller brands may struggle to survive. For consumers, especially DIY enthusiasts, this may lead to delayed purchases or redirected spending to other devices and experiences.
Aside from potential market share shifts, IDC projects that the average selling price (ASP) of PCs will rise overall in 2026. To cope with persistently high component costs, particularly memory price pressures, manufacturers will prioritize supplying mid-to-high-end products. Against this backdrop, while overall shipment growth may slow, the overall PC market sales revenue is expected to increase as component suppliers, PC manufacturers, and channel partners adjust their pricing strategies to capitalize on revenue opportunities, despite continued challenges from tight supply.