AI Chip Shortage Cripples PC Market — ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte Face Nearly 33% Decline

Motherboard sales are falling sharply as ongoing AI-related chip shortages continue to cripple the PC hardware market.

According to a Digitimes report, shortages tied to rising AI infrastructure demand have pushed prices higher for memory modules, storage drives, and processors over the past six months.

As hardware prices rise, many consumers are delaying PC upgrades and keeping their existing systems for longer periods.

The slowdown is now affecting motherboard manufacturers. The report said the four largest motherboard makers have revised their 2026 sales targets downward.

ASUS, which sold 15 million motherboards in 2025, reportedly shipped slightly over 5 million units during the first half of 2026. The company is now expected to struggle to reach 10 million units by year’s end, representing a 33% year-over-year decline.

Gigabyte and MSI sold 11.5 million and 11 million motherboards, respectively, last year.

The report said Gigabyte has lowered its 2026 forecast to 9 million units, while MSI expects shipments to reach 8.4 million units. That would represent declines of 22% and 24%, respectively.

ASRock is expected to face the largest decline. Its motherboard shipments are projected to fall from 4.3 million units in 2025 to 2.7 million units by the end of this year, a drop of 37%. Overall, the motherboard market for the four largest brands is projected to shrink by 28%.

The report said AI-related demand for memory, storage, and processors is the main factor behind the decline in motherboard sales.

Large-scale purchases by AI companies have reportedly reduced component availability for regular consumers, leading to higher prices across the PC hardware market.

The situation is also being affected by slower hardware platform transitions. AMD continues using the AM5 socket for its latest processors, while Intel’s Nova Lake platform, using the rumored LGA 1954 socket, is not expected until later this year.

At the same time, Nvidia has not introduced a refreshed RTX 50 Super series this year, while rumors suggest the RTX 60 series may not launch until 2028.

Despite weaker motherboard sales, Asus, Gigabyte, and ASRock have reportedly shifted part of their manufacturing toward AI servers to benefit from growing investments in AI data centers.

The report added that consumers building entirely new PCs may still find discounts on motherboard bundles as retailers attempt to move inventory during the slowdown.