IT market research and data analytics firm IDC released an update on the global memory crisis, offering new forecast numbers as the more companies hike memory chip prices. Although IDC said that it still stands by its original forecast that the PC market will contract by 2.4% in 2026, it also added two additional scenarios based on the evolving situation with the worldwide NAND and DRAM supply. The moderate scenario sees a 4.9% decline in the sales, while a more pessimistic forecast shows a larger 8.9% contraction of the PC market. This downward trend would be accompanied by a jump in overall acquisition costs, with moderate forecasts hinting at a 4% to 6% increase in prices, but pessimistic ones suggesting price rises of up to 8%.
Several companies — from memory makers to PC manufacturers and system integrators — have already announced that they will increase pre-built PC costs. Dell and Lenovo, some of the biggest makers of enterprise and consumer PCs, have said that they will adjust their prices by as much as 15%. Other manufacturers have stopped selling standalone RAM, with Framework doing this to ward off scalpers, while some pre-built manufacturers have given customers the option to buy a system without memory modules.
