📊Executive Summary

As of late 2025, the global semiconductor ecosystem faces an unprecedented shortage of memory chips, particularly DRAM and NAND flash, which is expected to persist into 2026. Prices for DRAM chips have surged due to demand from AI data centers outpacing supply, creating a market imbalance. While IDC maintains its initial forecast of a 2.4% decline in PC sales for 2026, it considers more pessimistic scenarios predicting declines of 4.9% to 8.9%, contingent on the duration of chip supply constraints. Despite a 6.6% increase in PC sales in 2025, prices are projected to rise by 4-8% in 2026, depending on the severity of the chip shortage. PC manufacturers are stockpiling components to mitigate future price increases. The ongoing AI infrastructure boom is exacerbating memory chip supply limitations, as manufacturers redirect production towards higher-margin AI-related memory technologies, further straining supply for consumer electronics. This situation signals an end to the era of cheap data storage chips, with 2026 poised to see rising technology costs due to supply constraints rather than demand growth....