PC sales rise in Q1 despite memory shortage — IDC

In the first quarter of 2026, 65.6 million PCs were sold worldwide, according to data released this week by IDC. That represents a 2.5% increase compared to the same quarter a year ago. The research firm attributed the increase to customers moving to buy PCs now ahead of expected significant price hikes.

The fact that computer sales are rising despite the uncertain global situation and a worldwide shortage of RAM is seen as a positive sign, but the industry faces uncertainty in the months ahead.

“The conflict in the Middle East has introduced a new layer of volatility to the fragile computer market, which is weighing on global logistics with a double-edged sword of rising energy and transportation costs,” Isaac Ngatia, senior research analyst, IDC Devices Research, said in a statement.

As usual, Lenovo, HP, and Dell were the top PC sellers, followed by Apple and Asus. The latter accounted for the largest increase — specifically, up 17.1%.