Core Viewpoint - The demand for AI hardware is causing a significant shortage of traditional storage chips, leading major PC manufacturers to plan price increases of at least 20% for their 2026 models due to rising component costs [2][3]. Group 1: Supply Chain and Pricing - The shortage of storage is attributed to major manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron shifting production capacity towards high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is crucial for AI accelerators, thereby constricting the supply of mainstream PC components such as DDR5 and LPDDR5 DRAM and SSDs [3][6]. - Wholesale prices for wafers have surged since late September, with reports indicating that storage prices have nearly doubled every ten days in early Q4 [3]. - Major PC brands are expected to face a supply bottleneck, with procurement managers estimating that next year's storage availability may only meet about half of the demand [3][5]. Group 2: Inventory Management and Market Strategy - To mitigate the impact of rising costs and supply constraints, PC brands are planning significant price hikes for next year's models while accelerating inventory clearance and phasing out older products [4]. - The tightening supply has been evident since early this year, as major storage suppliers have begun to phase out DDR4 production in favor of more profitable AI storage [4]. Group 3: Market Outlook and Forecasts - The storage supply bottleneck is negatively impacting industry forecasts, with IDC and Gartner both revising down their PC shipment predictions for 2026 [5]. - If the storage shortage persists, actual production may fall short of expectations, with some models potentially facing production cuts or temporary halts [5]. - The imbalance in production capacity between HBM and traditional PC DRAM is expected to continue into next year, making 2026 one of the most expensive product cycles in recent years if major suppliers do not expand mainstream storage capacity [6].