According to the analyst firm IDC, PC prices are projected to rise by up to 8% overall in 2026, due to a significant storage and memory shortage currently impacting the supply chain. IDC's moderate projection suggests that average selling prices for PCs could increase by approximately 4% to 6%, while a more severe shortage could drive the increase up to 8%. Several major vendors, including Dell, Lenovo , HP, Acer, and ASUS, have already warned customers about contract resets and overall list-price increases ranging from 15% to 20% for systems shipping in the second half of 2026.

The overall situation remains grim despite significant shifts in industry trends. For instance, Dell, one of the largest PC manufacturers, reports that Windows 10 to Windows 11 transition has been slower than expected. During a recent Q3 earnings call, COO Jeffrey Clarke noted, "We have not completed the Windows 11 transition. In fact, if you were to look at it relative to the previous OS end of support, we are 10-12 points behind where we were with the previous generation." This suggests that PC industry sales have been relatively stagnant, with clients not updating their PCs as much as anticipated.