After years of fluctuating performance, the global PC market is showing promising signs of recovery. According to preliminary data released by Gartner, Inc., worldwide PC shipments reached over 63 million units in the second quarter of 2025—a 4.4% increase year-over-year.
This growth is primarily fueled by enterprise upgrades, especially in the U.S., where tariff-driven inventory build-up and Windows 11 desktop refreshes gave vendors a notable boost. AI-capable laptops also played a role, supported by demand from the education sector.
“Enterprise demand outpaced consumer demand this quarter,” said Rishi Padhi, Research Principal at Gartner. “Windows 11 migrations and pandemic-era desktop renewals contributed significantly, even as consumers held off on upgrades.”
Enterprise Leads, Consumers Lag
While enterprise orders surged, consumer refresh cycles slowed, with many buyers opting to delay replacements. Gartner forecasts a 2.4% overall growth in PC shipments for 2025, driven by early inventory stocking and ongoing OS migrations.
However, Gartner warns of a possible inventory glut by year-end, as demand normalizes and vendors adjust supply chains.
Regional Snapshot
– North America saw a slight 0.5% decline in PC shipments.
– Asia-Pacific remained largely flat, showing minor improvement.
– EMEA emerged stronger with 5.3% growth, thanks to seasonal demand and a steady Windows 11 replacement push.
Notably, many organizations are choosing to upgrade existing devices to Windows 11 instead of purchasing new hardware—another reason for the tempered overall growth outlook.
Top Performers in Q2 2025
Lenovo topped the global vendor chart with a 13.9% year-on-year growth, shipping over 17 million units. Apple followed closely with 13.4% growth, while HP Inc. posted modest gains of 3.2%. Dell, however, saw a slight decline of 3.0%, reflecting challenges in consumer markets.
As AI-enabled PCs and refresh cycles continue to drive momentum, all eyes are on the second half of 2025 to determine whether this rebound marks a true turning point for the PC industry.
