Technology
Memory is the binding constraint as DRAM costs bleed into device prices
The PC industry's weak quarter has a component story underneath it. AI data-centre demand has absorbed spare DRAM and NAND output, and Gartner expects combined DRAM and solid-state drive prices to rise 130% by the end of 2026, lifting average PC prices 17% and smartphone prices 13% against 2025 levels. Intel's PC revenue miss and its 38% fourth-quarter gross-margin guidance show how quickly those input costs reach earnings, with Reuters reporting that the memory shortage has raised Intel's own costs.