PC shipments tumble over 20% in 3Q26 as chip shortages bite

What happened

Some experts estimate that the situation isn’t expected to improve until 2029 , with Tom’s Hardware readers saying that they won’t upgrade their systems in the next two years . PC shipments for the third quarter of 2026 drop by 15.8 million units, with Lenovo, HP, and Dell being hit the hardest.

PC shipments globally have dropped by 20.1% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026, a decline of 15.8 million units. According to research firm IDC Global , this marks a steeper decline compared to the 3.8% year-over-year decrease that the market experienced last quarter.

It’s also down 9.1% from the second quarter of this year. Many research firms have been warning about this since late last year, with IDC warning that the PC market could shrink up to 9% , with the budget sector being hit the hardest .