[Digital Today reporter Chi-gyu Hwang (황치규)] Motherboard sales are plunging as shortages of core PC components worsen amid a surge in AI demand, Tom's Hardware reported on May 7.

The report said Nvidia, Intel and AMD are reducing production of consumer chips to increase AI processor output, pushing up prices of PC components such as memory modules and storage drives overall over the past 6 months. With more users delaying PC upgrades due to shortages, motherboard makers are also taking a direct hit.

The report said the four major motherboard manufacturers have all lowered their internal sales targets for 2026.

Asus sold 15 million units in 2025, but it looks unlikely to sell even 10 million units this year.

Gigabyte is expected to fall 22 percent to 9 million units from 11.5 million, and MSI is projected to drop 24 percent to 8.4 million from 11 million. ASRock is forecast to be hit the hardest, falling 37 percent to 2.7 million from 4.3 million.

A lack of new platforms is also weighing on upgrade demand. AMD continues to use the existing AM5 socket, and Intel Nova Lake is to be released late this year. Nvidia is said not to release an RTX 50 Super series this year, and some forecasts say the RTX 60 series will not appear until 2028.