Omdia PC Data Shows Memory Costs Squeezing Low-End PCs

According to TechPowerUp's summary of Omdia research, the US market absorbed 15.8 million non-tablet PCs in Q1 2026, down 7.0% from the prior year. Omdia frames the weak quarter as a mix of softer demand after many Windows 11 upgrades, an unusually strong early-2025 comparison, and higher memory and storage input costs. The RamTrend signal is the supply competition behind those costs: AI server demand is taking more DRAM and NAND, leaving PC vendors with less margin flexibility. Cheap configurations are feeling that first, with systems below $500 down 18.7% in the period. Omdia's full-year 2026 US outlook calls for a 14.4% shipment decline if component tightness keeps weighing on the channel.