PC Component Shortages Hit Motherboard Makers as AI Chips Take Priority
Motherboard sales have dropped more than 25% across the industry as chipmakers redirect production toward AI processors, forcing manufacturers to slash their 2026 forecasts.
Asus projects it will ship just over 10 million motherboards this year, down from 15 million in 2025-a 33% decline. Gigabyte and MSI expect 22% and 24% drops respectively, while ASRock faces the steepest fall at 37%.
Why This Is Happening
Nvidia, Intel, and AMD have cut consumer chip production to manufacture more AI processors. The buildout of AI infrastructure is also starving the market for CPUs and high-end processors, leaving PC builders and enthusiasts competing for a shrinking supply of components.
Users without large budgets are postponing upgrades and holding onto existing devices longer. Memory modules and storage drives have seen the biggest price increases over the past six months.
AMD's continued use of the AM5 socket and delays in Intel's new Nova Lake architecture-arriving later this year-mean fewer reasons for PC builders to upgrade now. Nvidia's decision not to release a refreshed RTX 50 Super series adds another reason to wait.
What This Means for Sales Teams
Retailers are offering motherboard combo deals to move inventory, though discounts may not offset rising costs elsewhere in the build. For sales professionals, this reflects a broader shift: consumer PC sales are stalling while enterprise AI infrastructure continues to absorb resources and investment.
The four major motherboard makers aren't struggling overall. Asus, Gigabyte, and ASRock have shifted some production toward AI servers, capturing demand from hyperscalers investing heavily in data centers. The market is bifurcating between consumer and enterprise, with enterprise winning.
For more on how AI is reshaping markets and business operations, see AI for Sales.
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