"PC makers "are already signaling price increases across the board and likely memory spec downgrades, especially in entry-level devices," said Rishi Padhi, principal analyst at Gartner."
""With the RAM required for Windows 11 and Copilot+ now being much costlier, the price increase and scarcity in supply makes it difficult to deliver sub-$600 laptops without compromising user experience," Padhi said."
""Many PC components come from overseas suppliers, and the PC vendors can't just eat all the tariffs that are imposed on them," said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates."
""This dynamic is delaying true AI PC experiences into the premium segment, limiting mass market adoption, and forcing vendors to either raise prices or reduce specifications to protect margins," Padhi said."
CPU and memory shortages, rising component prices, and tariffs are pushing PC vendors to raise prices and reduce specifications, particularly in entry-level models. Memory spec downgrades are likely as the RAM needed for Windows 11 and Copilot+ becomes more expensive, making sub-$600 laptops difficult to produce without degrading user experience. The 2026 PC market is expected to be volatile, with supply constraints described as structural and potentially lasting into 2027. True AI-capable PCs are being confined to the premium segment, limiting mass-market adoption and complicating corporate upgrade decisions.
Read at Computerworld
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