PC shipments rose nearly 10% in Q3 2025 ahead of Windows 10 end-of-support
As the Windows 10 deadline nears, the Windows 11 upgrade rush is breathing life into a tired PC market.
As the countdown to the end of Windows 10 support gets ever closer, the Windows 11 transition has turned into one of the biggest catalysts the PC market has seen in years.
The routine operating system update has prompted a global wave of hardware refreshes and upgrades, and is helping the global PC market into a surprisingly strong year.
According to preliminary data from IDC, in the third quarter of 2025, global PC shipments climbed nearly 10% compared to a year ago. That’s 75.8 million desktops, notebooks, and workstations, a number the industry hasn’t seen in a while. Omdia’s data lands slightly lower, at 72 million units and 6.8% growth, but the message is the same: the PC market is back on its feet.
A Race Against the Clock
That October 14 deadline, when Microsoft officially ends support for its decade-old OS, has effectively turned into an industry-wide timer and a call to action to refresh your machines or risk being left behind.
“While the entire market is continuing on a very strong year, fueled by the Windows 11 transition and the need to replace an ageing installed base, the results by regions are telling different stories,” said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC’s research vice president for mobile device trackers.
