PC has not started: sales of desktop computers have collapsed in Russia
Sales of desktop computers in Russia in the first months of 2026 decreased by about a third compared to the same period last year, market participants told Izvestia. According to experts, this is a record drop since the early 2020s. The main reason was a noticeable increase in the price of equipment: over the past year, the cost of desktops has increased 1.5–2 times against the background of a shortage of components. At the same time, the deadline for updating computers purchased in 2020-2021, during the pandemic, for remote work is now approaching. However, both private users and companies prefer to postpone the replacement of equipment in an effort to reduce costs.
How much have computer sales decreased
Russians have become noticeably less likely to buy desktop computers. In the first quarter of 2026 and April, their retail sales decreased by 31% in units and by 34% in money, a source close to one of the vendors told Izvestia. During this period, 127 thousand devices were sold for a total amount of more than 7.8 billion rubles.
According to him, the decrease in demand is taking place against the background of rising prices caused by the rise in price of components. An additional factor was the lack of pent-up demand. Right now, users would have to massively swap out desktop PCs purchased in 2020-2021, during the pandemic, for remote work and study. However, this is not happening: both private buyers and companies prefer to postpone updating equipment and maximize the service life of existing devices, according to the Izvestia interlocutor.
Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, also talks about the reduction of the desktop market by about a third. According to him, this is the most significant drop in sales since at least the early 2020s. Peter Gorbey, director of the Computer Peripherals Department at Marvel Distribution, gives a similar assessment. According to him, a market decline of more than 30% could indeed be an anti-record in recent years.
Sales of desktop computers have declined amid rising prices: devices with conventional graphics cards have increased in price by about 1.5 times over the year, and models with high—performance graphics accelerators have doubled, says Eldar Murtazin.
According to him, desktop PCs, unlike laptops, are more often assembled from more powerful and expensive components. Additional pressure on the market is exerted by the growing demand from companies developing AI services, which affects the cost of components. In addition, private users and organizations are in no hurry to update their equipment fleet: against the background of macroeconomic instability and high interest rates on loans, many are postponing such purchases, the expert notes.
— The market has lost more money due to the forced sale of overstocked distributors' warehouses at a large discount. The depth of the decline is also confirmed by the adjacent monitor market in the Russian Federation, which sank by more than 25% in the first quarter," Peter Gorbey told Izvestia.
PC retail sales declined both in monetary and quantitative terms in 2025, added Konstantin Rudensky, an analyst at the Center for Strategic Support of Domestic Technologies. The market is supported mainly by supplies to the public sector and companies, while demand from retail customers continues to decline, he says.
— Small and medium—sized businesses are spending money more cautiously against the background of the unstable ruble exchange rate and inflation - computers can be postponed for later. Components have also become more expensive. Prices for modern memory modules have almost doubled in recent months, and they are unlikely to become cheaper in the near future. Demand from AI services reduces inventory. People are increasingly choosing a laptop or a compact mini-computer instead of a classic system unit," the expert noted.
At the same time, the decline in the desktop PC market is not felt by all its participants. According to RWB, the situation looks heterogeneous and largely depends on the sales channel.
— If individual players record a decrease in demand of up to 40%, then Wildberries sales in January–April 2026 increased by 73% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2025. In physical terms, there has also been significant growth, including in the mass segment of computers based on Intel Core i5, sales of which increased by 66%, the company said.
In "M.Video" also notes that the market was under pressure at the beginning of the year, but the situation began to improve in the spring. In the period from mid-April to early June, sales of desktop PCs grew steadily relative to the same weeks last year.
Which PCs have become less expensive to buy
In Russia, demand is decreasing not only for desktop computers, but also for laptops. In January – May, about 924,000 laptops worth 59.2 billion rubles were sold in the country. Compared to the same period last year, this means a decrease of 20.7% in physical terms and 16.6% in monetary terms, a source in the electronics market told Izvestia. As for desktop PCs, the most noticeable drop is recorded in the segment of top-end configurations. In particular, sales of ready-made systems based on Intel Core i5 processors were most affected, said an editorial source close to one of the vendors.
As for desktop PCs, the most noticeable drop is recorded in the segment of top-end configurations. In particular, sales of ready-made systems based on Intel Core i5 processors were most affected, the source said.
Peter Gorbey confirmed that the outstripping decline in demand is observed in the segment of ready-made PCs running on Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 5. According to him, corporate customers are switching to simpler Core i3 configurations and low-cost Chinese platforms in order to save money, and retail customers are increasingly choosing laptops and mini-PCs. At the same time, gamers and enthusiasts are almost completely moving into the DIY segment, preferring self-assembly and system upgrades.
The largest reduction in demand is in the middle segment of ready-made assemblies, where six-core Core i5 processors are traditionally used in conjunction with a discrete graphics card, Konstantin Rudensky added. At the same time, according to "M.Video", there is a growing interest in compact desktop systems and energy-efficient platforms in the market. In particular, the share of Cortex-based devices increased from 27.9% to 33%.
— If we talk about the structure of demand, the segment of expensive configurations reacts the most to price changes. Some buyers may delay updating their PCs or choose more affordable solutions. The average bill has increased due to the rise in the cost of individual components, but at the same time, relatively favorable conditions remain for the purchase of equipment, according to RWB.
According to experts, the decline will continue until the end of the year, but the rate of decline may slow down, Konstantin Rudensky noted. According to the basic scenario, the market is able to lose up to 10-15% more while maintaining a memory deficit. Additional support for the segment will continue to be provided by the state order, he believes. In these circumstances, manufacturers, in his opinion, it is advisable to rely on inexpensive ready-made configurations and the development of a modular approach that allows computers to be updated component by component, rather than replacing the entire system.
Peter Gorbey, in turn, believes that a rapid recovery and a sharp increase in sales of ready-made PCs should not be expected. According to his forecast, by the end of 2026, the decline in the desktop segment may amount to 20-25% in units. At the same time, seasonal demand in the third quarter (back-to-school) and the fourth quarter, associated with New Year's Eve purchases and the closure of IT budgets, will only partially smooth out the current decline, the expert concluded.
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