PC Market Growth: End of Windows 10 Support and AI Technologies

The Impact of the End of Windows 10 Support on the Market

The PC market is experiencing remarkable growth, with shipments increasing by 8% during the third quarter of 2025. This boom is partly attributed to the approaching end of Windows 10 support, which means Microsoft will stop providing free security updates, bug fixes, and technical support after October 14, 2025. Consequently, devices running Windows 10 become more vulnerable to security threats like viruses and malware, and may experience a decline in performance and functionality, pushing users to upgrade to newer operating systems like Windows 11 to maintain their devices' security (Microsoft Support, Microsoft Windows).

Manufacturer Performance: Apple Leads, Dell Declines

Mac devices from Apple were the biggest winner of this trend, recording a 15% increase in sales year-over-year. This growth is due to several factors, including the end of Windows 10 support, the launch of new MacBook models this year, and companies' eagerness to update their laptop fleets as Windows 10 devices age.

The benefit was not limited to Apple alone; other PC manufacturers also recorded strong performance, with the exception of one company. Lenovo led companies with 17% growth in Q3 compared to last year, outperforming Apple, which achieved 15%, while Asus came in next with 14%. HP also saw 10% growth, reflecting positive performance for most major PC manufacturers pushing towards Windows 11 systems.

In contrast, Dell faced significant challenges, with its PC shipments decreasing by a full percentage point year-over-year, a stark contrast to the strong performance of its competitors.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is surely pleased with these results, especially since Mac sales struggled last year, and Q3 2024 saw Apple lose as much as it gained. However, the company has overcome this phase, and Mac sales continued to grow this year, reaching their peak in this latest surge.

Windows 11 Requirements and the Opportunity for Alternative Systems

It's interesting to note the significant shift towards Mac devices, while Linux advocates tried to capitalize on the exodus of Windows 10 users whose older devices cannot run Windows 11 due to stricter system requirements. These requirements include a 64-bit dual-core processor at 1 GHz or faster, 4 GB of RAM or more, 64 GB or greater storage space, in addition to UEFI, Secure Boot, and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 support, which makes many older devices incompatible (Microsoft, PCMag).

The Rise of AI-Powered PCs

Analytics firm Counterpoint points to a significant shift towards AI-powered PCs, expected to take off strongly in 2027. But we are already seeing the initial stages as companies purchase laptops capable of accelerating local (on-device) AI tasks via a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The NPU is a specialized chip designed to accelerate AI workloads, allowing devices to perform tasks such as real-time video enhancement or language translation more efficiently without relying on the cloud, a key feature in new MacBook devices and Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11 (Intel, Digital Trends). Copilot+ PCs feature advanced AI capabilities, including features like Recall that allow users to search for anything they've seen on their devices, Cocreator for turning ideas into real-time images, as well as enhancements to tools like Live Captions and instant audio and video translation (Microsoft Blog, PCMag).

Counterpoint highlights upcoming Intel Panther Lake processors, as well as Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite, as powerful mobile processors that will drive Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs in these early days of the "AI revolution." Notably, a previous leak showed how Apple's new M5 chip can outperform even the "Extreme" version of Snapdragon X2 Elite in at least some scenarios, boding well for future MacBook devices.