"While the holiday season typically drives stronger demand, the surge in late 2025 was further amplified by emerging memory shortages that led buyers and brands to secure inventory ahead of anticipated price increases in 2026,"
"RAM and NAND / SSD prices have surged in recent months due to shortages created by AI data center demand. PC makers like Lenovo and HP have been stockpiling memory, but those stockpiles will likely run out in a few months time and lead to increased prices and potentially even PC configuration changes."
"Beyond the obvious pressure on prices of systems, already announced by certain manufacturers, we might also see PC memory specifications be lowered on average to preserve memory inventory on hand, The year ahead is shaping up to be extremely volatile."
PC shipments grew nearly 10 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching 76.4 million units. Microsoft ending Windows 10 support helped boost replacement demand during the holiday quarter. PC makers accelerated inventory purchases to mitigate potential tariffs and looming memory shortages. RAM and NAND/SSD prices surged because of AI data center demand, prompting companies like Lenovo and HP to stockpile memory. Those stockpiles are expected to deplete within months, likely driving higher prices and possible reductions in memory configurations. Average selling prices are expected to rise in 2026 as manufacturers favor mid-range and premium systems to offset higher memory costs.
Read at The Verge
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