PC shipments in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to drop 13.7% in 2026 compared to the previous year, decreasing from 106.6 million units in 2025 to 92.0 million, according to the International Data Corporation. IDC mainly pins this decline on shortages of DRAM and NAND components, which are driven by increased demand from AI data centers pulling memory supply away from consumer PC manufacturing.
Maciek Gornicki, senior research manager for Devices Research at IDC Asia-Pacific, explained that “strong demand driven by AI infrastructure is creating significant constraints in the global supply of DRAM and NAND. Memory manufacturers are shifting capacity from consumer electronics to meet the growing needs of data centers.”
Why Asia?Pacific PC Shipments Spike In 2025 And Drop In 2026
The 2025 growth estimate of 11.6% was driven by several factors: the replacement of aging devices, the end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 in October 2025, and large-scale education deployments across the region. These one-time demands are not expected to recur in 2026.
With that refresh cycle mostly finished, underlying demand has slowed down. At the same time, component shortages and rising memory prices are adding to the slowdown on the supply side.
How AI Data Centers Are Squeezing Consumer DRAM And NAND Supply
Memory manufacturers are shifting production capacity toward data center customers, where DRAM yields higher margins than consumer PC components. This shift is reducing the supply of memory available for PC builds, leading to tighter markets and higher component prices across the board.
According to IDC, PC vendors will likely respond by focusing on higher-average-selling-price markets to protect their margins. Emerging markets in Southeast Asia are most vulnerable to the combined effects of supply shortages and price increases, as they depend more heavily on lower-cost devices and have consumers who are more price-sensitive.
What DRAM Shortages Mean For PC Buyers in the Asia?Pacific
Rising DRAM prices are impacting both system builders sourcing components and consumers buying pre-built systems. IDC expects shortages to push prices higher and decrease overall demand through 2026. No specific timeline has been given for when memory supply constraints might ease.
In January 2026, IDC noted that the PC market was likely to face challenges throughout the year. The Asia-Pacific region’s outlook aligns with that earlier assessment.
