AI Server Demand Lengthens Component Lead Times, Curbing General-Purpose Server Growth in 2026

The AI server buildout boom is reshaping how supply-chain resources are allocated. TrendForce said suppliers are prioritizing demand for high-end AI systems, tightening supplies of shared components such as power management integrated circuits, or PMICs, and baseboard management controllers, or BMCs. The resulting squeeze on general-purpose server capacity is a major constraint on market growth in 2026.

TrendForce’s latest research shows that lead times for some server components have lengthened sharply to nearly a year, weighing on general-purpose server shipment momentum in 2026. Still, supported by demand for AI infrastructure, total server shipments are forecast to rise about 13% year on year for the full year. Growth in AI servers using custom ASICs is expected to outpace that of GPU-based systems.