Russia PC Shortages Spark Wave of PC Upgrades

Computer assembly
(Image credit: Quanta Computer)

After Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, large hardware and software companies began to leave the country in a bid not to support the bloody war in any way. Now that the world's leading PC makers do not officially sell systems in Russia, many end users have to buy components to repair or upgrade their existing machines, according to media reports.

Sales of PC components for desktops and laptops increased by two – four times in the first nine months of 2021 in Russia compared to the same period a year ago, reports Cnews. Apparently, Russians are buying virtually all PC parts they can install themselves, including graphics cards, processors, memory, solid-state drives, hard drives, motherboards, and PC chassis, according to data from large retailers like M.Video-Eldorado, Ozon, and Wildberries.

While formal companies like Asus and Nvidia ceased shipping products to Russia earlier this year, their partners continued to send their motherboards and graphics cards to the nation, albeit indirectly, as they continued to capitalize on demand. Also, companies like Lenovo (and local grey box makers) have benefited from Dell's and HP's decision to leave the Russian market.

While the most components got more expensive than they used to be, some of them (e.g., graphics cards, SSDs) are a bit cheaper this year despite strong demand and even shortages. Moreover, as it turns out, some suppliers increased shipments of their parts to Russia.

Another essential factor about the Russian PC market is that the wait for getting official repairs on broken tech products has gotten significantly longer, which is perhaps one of the reasons why people now prefer to buy illegally imported components and install them themselves.

All-in-all, while many high-tech companies left Russia and no longer sell their products in the country, there are still those that capitalize on this market. Of course, it is hard to tell whether these companies can satisfy 100% of the country's needs in PCs and computer components, but it looks like one can still buy new hardware in the country, albeit at high prices.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • BX4096
    Also known as the "get them while you still can" effect. Boohoo.
    Reply
  • Nilarium
    BX4096 said:
    Also known as the "get them while you still can" effect. Boohoo.
    As Russian, I don't agree with this statement and article.
    Real reason is that rouble strengthened by 25% to dollar and it became really cheap for us to buy new PC, especially at the end of AM4 lifecycle and discounts on it worldwide.
    This summer I upgraded pc for my best friend, my sister and her husband
    Reply
  • ex_bubblehead
    As with all of these potentially politically charged threads, keep the politics to yourself and out of these forums. There have already been some ejections. If there is any more of it the thread will be closed and violators sanctioned further. This is the only warning that will be issued and it requires no comment.
    Reply
  • Another essential factor about the Russian PC market is that official reports got significantly longer, which is perhaps one of the reasons why people now prefer to buy illegally imported components and install them themselves.

    I don't understand the meaning of this sentence. Did you perhaps mean "imports" instead of "reports"?
    Reply
  • Co BIY
    Did allowing Grey-market imports also result in many parts going without usual import taxes ? or not being supplied through exclusive and restrictive distributors ?

    I could see these factors playing a role.
    Reply
  • AlexSpirit
    > One of the exciting things to note about sales of computer parts in Russia is that while the majority of them got more expensive than they used to be

    It is not true. The truth is that prices have become lower for all PC components.
    Reply