IDC said preliminary data showed global PC shipments fell 20.1% year over year to 62.7 million units in the third quarter of 2026. According to Sina Finance, the decline marked the second straight quarter of year-over-year contraction and was larger than the 3.8% drop in the second quarter, while shipments also fell 9.1% from the second quarter, breaking the usual seasonal pattern of stronger third-quarter shipments.

IDC Consumer Device Research Director Jitesh Ubrani said the weakness reflected the effects of heavy early stocking in the first half of the year, as vendors and channel partners rushed to buy inventory ahead of price increases. He said supply constraints, high product prices, logistics disruptions, and weaker macro conditions weighed on demand, while channel partners focused on clearing inventory accumulated in the previous quarter. IDC also said Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, and Asus were among the leading vendors, and that Lenovo, HP, and Dell each fell more than the broader market.