PCs: global average selling price 2015-2019

The average selling price of personal computers in 2019 was 632 U.S. dollars or 733 U.S. dollars in constant currency. Overall, the average PC selling price in recent years has been relatively constant at around 630 actual U.S. dollars. The increase in the average price from 2015 to 2017 can be attributed in part to higher costs for components such as memory and hard drives. Current pricing trends for DRAM and NAND memory components point towards PC prices falling again in the future. The drop in semiconductor prices is driven by oversupply in the market and stagnating sales of smartphones and PCs.

A stagnating PC market

Annual PC unit sales have been mostly declining over the period between 2015 and 2019, as mass-market use of smartphones grew exponentially. When PC sales began to decline, specifically desktop PC sales fell, while notebook and laptop sales have remained relatively constant with even a marginal increase in units sold. This is representative of the overall trend towards higher portability and mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops.

PC vendors focus on gaming

In response to the stagnating market, many PC vendors are adapting by incorporating new technology into their PC design. For example, HP has put a high emphasis on device security and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their software solutions. Another lucrative focal point for this and other PC companies is developing high-end computers and peripherals for PC gaming. A case in point is Dell Technologies, which took a new direction for its PC design by including virtual and artificial intelligence technologies into its product line of premium devices for gaming ecosystems. Similarly, Lenovo’s response has been developing devices with integrated virtual reality headsets.