Rising Memory Costs Push Budget PCs Out of Market as Sub-$500 Sales Drop Nearly 19%
By
Markus Kasanmascheff
Summary
Rising costs of DRAM and NAND flash memory are squeezing budget PCs out of the market. According to Omdia data, sub-$500 U.S. PC sales dropped 18.7% in Q1 2026, while broader distributor unit sales fell 7% year-over-year to 15.8 million PCs. Average U.S. PC selling prices exceeded $1,000, up 4% from the prior year. Omdia expects prices to rise up to 12% by December, leaving price-sensitive buyers with fewer affordable options.
Source
bskyRising Memory Costs Push Budget PCs Out of Market as Sub-$500 Sales Drop Nearly 19%winbuzzer.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledSub-$500 U.S. PC sales dropped 18.7 percent as rising dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash costs pushed vendors toward machines with more pricing room
Broader U.S. distributor unit sales fell 7 percent year over year to 15.8 million PCs in the same quarter
Omdia expects prices to rise by up to 12 percent by December, leaving price-sensitive buyers with fewer
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