In Q3 2026, prices on the business IT hardware market rose not only for new models but also for previous-generation equipment. The most popular configurations now take months to arrive. There is one reason behind it: the artificial intelligence (AI) boom has bought up the production capacity for memory, SSDs and graphics cards. Skaylink reviews the key changes of the quarter and explains how companies in Lithuania can plan their hardware purchases.
“Price is becoming secondary. What matters most now is time and whether you can get the hardware at all. And this is not about just one manufacturer,” says Ervin Rizgelis, Head of Business Solutions at Skaylink.
IT hardware prices in 2026: why business laptops are getting more expensive
The component shortage hit business laptops first. Manufacturers absorbed rising memory and SSD costs for a long time, but in Q3 almost all of them started raising prices.
- Apple held its prices longer than most competitors, but at the start of the quarter it announced a MacBook price correction: about 20% on average, and more for configurations with more memory. The manufacturer said prices will keep rising.
- Business laptops are getting more expensive regardless of the brand. Skaylink estimates that in Q4, new-generation mid-range business laptops with 16 GB of memory will cost at least EUR 1,000 + VAT, and those with 32 GB at least EUR 1,200 + VAT.
- Previous-generation iPhones are, for the first time, getting more expensive rather than cheaper, as Apple responds to higher production costs. Supply of the most popular Pro and Pro Max configurations has been limited all year.
Skaylink responded to the market in advance. The company invested its own working capital and bought up the official stock of the popular ThinkPad E series with 16 GB and 32 GB of memory. This lets clients in Lithuania still buy these laptops at the old price: 16 GB models for under EUR 800 + VAT and 32 GB models for no more than EUR 1,000 + VAT, while stock lasts.
“There is no need to panic. But choose carefully: to cut costs, some ‘new’ models are slower than the previous generation, without dual-channel memory and without Copilot+ compatibility,” advises Rizgelis.
AI hardware for business: NVIDIA cards are more expensive, but demand keeps growing
Prices of professional NVIDIA graphics cards nearly doubled in a year, yet Lithuanian companies are buying more of them. The recommended price of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (96 GB) started at USD 8,565, rose to USD 13,250 in June and to USD 16,000 in August. The market expects another increase.
The previous-generation card market has also dried up. A year ago, about EUR 4,000 + VAT was enough to build a top-tier workstation with a GeForce RTX 5090. Today it is hard to find the card itself: AI companies buy them by the pallet.
Despite the prices, Skaylink sold five RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell cards in a single week in September. The quarter’s projects show how varied the demand for AI hardware is:
- A game developer – one of the largest in the world – chose a workstation with two RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell cards. Such a configuration is worth about EUR 40,000 + VAT today.
- An architecture firm bought yet another Lenovo ThinkStation P8 workstation for 3D modelling – equipment of this class costs nearly EUR 20,000 + VAT today. The client’s verdict is short: it pays for itself.
- One of Lithuania’s largest corporate groups moved the cards it already had for AI workloads into a 3U Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 server. It holds up to eight cards, so the solution can grow.
- The NVIDIA DGX Spark platform, which Skaylink most often supplies as the Lenovo ThinkStation PGX, already has a double-digit number of clients in Lithuania.
“When NVIDIA introduced DGX Spark at the end of 2025, we doubted we would sell any in Lithuania. Today a demo usually ends in a purchase,” says Rizgelis. Skaylink has DGX Spark demo units for companies that want to try it before buying.
Business servers: AMD is growing and Lenovo is cutting lead times
AMD already holds more than a third of the server market: at the start of 2026 its share exceeded 33% of units sold and 46% of revenue. This means AMD processors now often lead in higher-end servers. The sector is forecast to roughly triple by 2030, exceeding USD 200 billion.
For a company, what matters more than forecasts is what it can get now. When servers with the most popular NVIDIA cards can take up to six months to arrive, lead time becomes the key purchasing criterion.
Skaylink, the first Lenovo 360 Platinum partner in the Baltics, uses the Lenovo TopChoice Express programme here. Under it, standard-configuration servers are built from stocked components and reach clients in Lithuania within up to 20 business days. The same route works for AI servers: companies received Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650a servers with NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell cards in weeks, not months.
Business laptops: factory configuration and limited editions
Medium and large organisations should order laptops in batches, configured at the factory. Skaylink helps prepare Windows Autopilot and BIOS-level settings. As a result, a laptop fresh out of the box starts up with most of the settings an IT team would normally spend hours on. Such orders cost less, create less packaging waste, and the hardware arrives ready to work. In summer, some of these batches became available after a client changed its plans, so the ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 could be bought for EUR 700 + VAT, or EUR 680 + VAT each when buying a box of 7.
The summer also brought the limited Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 FIFA Edition, made for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Lenovo supports as technology partner. Only 15 units reached Lithuania. It weighs exactly 1 kg and has a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display, 32 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD, and Lenovo Accidental Damage Protection covers the full 36-month warranty. The price is EUR 2,499 + VAT, and the laptop can be seen at the Skaylink office.
Apple for business: record demand for the new iPhones
Demand for the new iPhones this autumn was the highest in Skaylink’s history. Last year, the company still had a few devices available on the first official sales day, and they were requested within minutes. This year, all devices were pre-ordered, and the waiting list is the longest ever.
Apple has only seven business (B2B) partners in Lithuania, and Skaylink is one of them. The company not only supplies new Apple hardware but also manages Apple IT environments for dozens of Lithuanian companies.
After the price correction, partners still have stock bought at the previous cost. So it is worth asking for an offer now, especially at the end of a quarter.
Partnerships and awards: Cisco, Dell, Lenovo
Cisco. At the Cisco awards, Skaylink received the “Fighting Spirit 2026” title. It goes to the partner with the highest project success rate in Lithuania. Over the year, Skaylink delivered these projects:
- a well-known law firm and a state-owned bank set up full Cisco Meraki network infrastructure in their new offices;
- two new factories use dozens of Cisco Catalyst 1300 switches;
- a home design start-up, together with BTT Engineering, installed one of the most advanced Cisco conferencing solutions in Lithuania;
- clients building solutions for the defence sector protect their networks with Cisco firewalls.
Skaylink manages Cisco and Meraki infrastructure not only in Lithuania but also in other countries, including the US.
Dell. The AI boom has also lifted manufacturers’ value: Dell Technologies’ share price has risen sixfold. Skaylink is a Dell Technologies Gold partner, will reach a million-euro Dell turnover in 2026 and is working towards Platinum status. In September, the Skaylink team attended the Dell Technologies Forum in Helsinki. Skaylink supplies Dell servers, storage, workstations and everyday computers.
Lenovo. Skaylink is the first Lenovo 360 Platinum partner in the Baltics and has the only Lenovo Workstation Expert team in Lithuania. This gives clients not just hardware, but priority supply and engineering support when choosing workstations.
How to plan IT hardware purchases for 2027
The component shortage will not end in one quarter, so it is worth planning hardware purchases earlier than usual:
- Plan ahead. Assess which laptops, servers or workstations you will need in the next 6–12 months and order now, not when equipment breaks down.
- Align with your financial year. This matters for cash flow: a purchase postponed to next year may cost more.
- Check the specifications, not just the price. A new model is not always faster than the previous generation.
- Test before you buy. Skaylink has demo units of workstations, AI hardware and NVIDIA DGX Spark.
- Choose a partner with direct supply. Top-tier manufacturer partnerships shorten lead times and help secure hardware even when the market is short.
Planning a laptop fleet refresh, a server or an AI workstation in Lithuania? Write to sales@skaylink.lt or call +370 5 203 4385. We will assess your request free of charge and prepare a detailed offer.
Frequently asked questions
Why are business laptops more expensive in 2026?
AI companies are buying most of the world’s memory, SSD and graphics card production. Components are getting more expensive, and manufacturers are raising business laptop prices. Skaylink expects prices to keep rising in Q4.
Should I buy IT hardware now or wait?
If you will need the hardware in the next 6–12 months, plan and order now. Prices are rising and supply of popular configurations is limited. While stock lasts, some models can still be bought at the old price.
How long does it take to get a business server?
Standard-configuration Lenovo servers reach clients in Lithuania within up to 20 business days through the TopChoice Express programme. Servers with NVIDIA cards can take months on the market, so it is worth discussing lead times early.
What is NVIDIA DGX Spark and who is it for?
NVIDIA DGX Spark is a compact AI computer for building and testing AI models locally, without sending data to the cloud. Skaylink supplies it as the Lenovo ThinkStation PGX and has demo units available.
Can I test hardware before buying?
Yes. Skaylink has demo units of workstations, AI hardware and the latest laptops. They are prepared for the client’s software and type of work.
Does Skaylink sell Apple hardware to companies?
Yes. Skaylink is one of seven Apple business partners in Lithuania. We supply new Apple devices and manage Apple IT environments for dozens of companies.
