Dell just overtook HP as the top PC maker in the US as the entire market shrinks

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.

TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.

Everything is Getting Worse: Research firm Omdia has released its latest figures on the state of the PC market. Conditions are deteriorating, hardware prices continue to rise amid AI-driven demand, and consumers are holding off on buying new PCs for the time being – though there are a few notable exceptions.

Omdia recently reported that PC shipments in the US fell 7% year over year in the first quarter of 2026. The London-based research firm estimates that 15.8 million PCs were shipped to the US market during 1Q26, marking the steepest annual decline since the third quarter of 2023. The weak market is being driven by several factors, with AI-related demand likely playing the biggest role.

Heavy spending by Big Tech companies and AI firms is putting significant pressure on the supply chain, causing storage and memory prices to continue rising. As a result, PC manufacturers – and many other hardware vendors – have been forced to pass those higher costs on to consumers. Omdia also said the "demand hangover" associated with the Windows 11 upgrade cycle has largely run its course. Meanwhile, the inventory buildup driven by Trump's 2025 tariffs is no longer a significant factor.