TrendForce forecasts PC DRAM prices to rise 13–18% in 4Q26 as notebook sales sagged in 3Q26

TrendForce forecasts PC DRAM contract prices will climb 13–18% in the fourth quarter of 2026, even after notebook sales weakened in the third quarter. The projected increase extends a memory-price upcycle that is squeezing PC makers' bill-of-materials costs while end demand softens. Rising DRAM costs against sluggish notebook shipments may push OEMs to adjust product mixes, memory configurations or pricing to protect margins. The dynamic matters because memory is a major cost component in PCs, so sustained increases could feed into consumer electronics affordability and slow hardware refresh cycles. What to watch next is whether OEMs absorb the higher prices, pass them to buyers, or cut DRAM content per unit—and whether weak notebook demand forces TrendForce to revise its quarterly forecast.