PC Shipments Fell 20%: Buy a GPU or PC Now or Wait?

Worldwide PC shipments fell 20.1% in the third quarter of 2026, to 62.7 million units, according to IDC's preliminary figures published on October 9. If you're planning a PC or graphics card purchase, don't expect that slump to bring prices down: our own price data shows the opposite.

Why PC shipments fell 20%

IDC calls it the largest third-quarter decline it has ever recorded, down from 78.5 million units a year earlier and 9.1% below the second quarter. The main cause, IDC says, is stockpiling: brands and retailers bought PCs early in 2026 to get ahead of soaring memory prices, which left little demand for the third quarter. Tom's Hardware reports that the top three PC makers shipped 11.6 million fewer units than a year earlier.

How much have GPU and RAM prices risen?

Every current-generation graphics card we track got more expensive over the last three months. The table compares each card's Amazon price about three months earlier with its price on October 10.

Across all 12 RTX 50 and RX 9000 cards in our catalog, the median rise was 31% and the smallest was 10%. The same model can vary a lot: two RX 9060 XT 16GB cards rose 65% and 15%, so compare brands before you buy. Memory is the common thread, which we covered in DDR5 prices in 2026 and Nvidia's GPU price rises.

Should you buy now or wait?

If your current PC still runs what you need, wait and upgrade one part at a time. If you need a new GPU or PC in the next few months, buy now rather than betting on a drop. IDC warns that shipments could fall further in the coming quarters, and our data shows no sign of prices easing yet. Black Friday on November 27 is the next chance of a real discount, but on today's trend I wouldn't count on one.

My advice for a GPU: pick the cheapest card of the model you want, since brand-to-brand gaps are wider than usual, and check its price history on the product page before buying. Every card we track is on our graphics card rankings.