PC shipments rose unexpectedly despite RAM shortages

IDC reports fourth-quarter 2025 PC shipments grew nearly 10% year-over-year to 76.4 million units, driven by Windows 10 upgrade demand and manufacturers pulling forward inventory amid RAM and NAND shortages.

PC shipments surpassed expectations in the 2025 holiday quarter, according to IDC. Shipments rose nearly 10% year-over-year to 76.4 million units. The increase was supported by the end of Windows 10 support and by manufacturers pulling forward inventory. Those moves were made in part to address potential tariffs and a global memory shortage. What is known: - IDC reports fourth-quarter 2025 PC shipments rose nearly 10% year-over-year to 76.4 million units. - Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 contributed to increased demand for new PCs. - PC makers pulled inventory forward to respond to possible tariffs and the reported RAM and NAND/SSD shortages. - The article reports that RAM and NAND prices have risen recently, driven in part by AI data center demand. - The article mentions manufacturers such as Lenovo and HP have been stockpiling memory, and those stockpiles are expected to run down in a few months. Summary: The reported shipment increase occurred alongside mounting supply pressure from memory shortages and strategic inventory moves. IDC now expects average selling prices of PCs to rise in 2026 and warns that some manufacturers may lower memory specifications on systems to preserve inventory. The market outlook for pricing and configurations is described as likely to be volatile.