Warnings about an impending ‘RAMaggedon’ – a severe memory shortage – continue to mount. The latest somber news comes from the International Data Corporation (IDC), which had already signaled a grim outlook for the end of 2025. Today, the organization once again revised its forecasts for the PC market in 2026, now projecting an 11.6% drop in global shipments. This marks a further cut from its previous report, which anticipated an 8.9% decline this year due to ongoing memory scarcities.
Notably, this updated figure predates the recent escalation of conflicts in Iran and across the Middle East, events that could exert additional downward pressure on the computing and other industries.
Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, stated in the latest forecast: “Memory shortages will persist well into 2027. While we anticipate some easing of prices beginning in 2028, the market is unlikely to return to the pricing levels observed in 2025.”
This comprehensive market analysis echoes the price adjustments and public declarations from various segments of the technology and computing sectors. This year alone, surging memory costs have already affected prominent companies such as HP, Samsung, Valve, and Framework. It would not be surprising if many other major industry players soon face similar challenges.
