Entry-level PC market to ‘disappear’ by 2028 — rising memory prices pile more strain on consumer PC market

Kingston.

A 130% surge in combined DRAM and SSD prices by the end of 2026 will push PC prices up 17% compared to 2025 levels and wipe out the sub-$500 PC market entirely by 2028, according to a forecast published by research firm Gartner on February 26. The price shock will drive global PC shipments down 10.4% this year versus 2025, the steepest annual contraction in over a decade, as consumers and businesses hold onto existing hardware rather than upgrade.

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