PC Shipments Decline as AI Infrastructure Strains Memory Supply

PC shipments fell 5% to 68.2 million units in Q2 2026, ending nine quarters of growth. High-bandwidth memory and enterprise storage — needed for AI systems — are now competing with consumer devices for limited supply. IDC forecasts the shortage will extend through 2027–2028, unusually long for a component crisis, forcing enterprises to rethink IT buying strategies.