Tracking Market Conditions

Report: Abnormal Surge in PC Activity and What It Means for ITADs

Executive Summary For this report, titled: Abnormal And Temporary Surge in PC Activity: What It Means for ITADs, Compliance Standards LLC reviewed the main segments of the PC industry at the end of August 2025: the large OEMs such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS; ecosystem players including Microsoft and Apple; distributors like TD […] Continue reading below.
Number of readers who accessed this analysis : 100

Executive Summary

For this report, titled: Abnormal And Temporary Surge in PC Activity: What It Means for ITADs, Compliance Standards LLC reviewed the main segments of the PC industry at the end of August 2025: the large OEMs such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS; ecosystem players including Microsoft and Apple; distributors like TD SYNNEX and Ingram Micro; and upstream suppliers and server builders such as Foxconn, Quanta, and Wiwynn. The evidence points to a clear upswing in PC activity, supported by the Windows 10 commercial refresh, the first wave of AI-PC adoption, and a strong data-center build-out.

This pickup is encouraging for both PC makers and for the IT asset disposition and recycling industries. At the same time, it carries a cautionary note: the October 14, 2025 end of Windows 10 support is compressing what would normally have been a gradual upgrade cycle into a concentrated surge. As a result, today’s activity levels are unusually high and not necessirly reflective of a permanent new base.

By mid-2026, the market is likely to return to a more normal rhythm, with replacement cycles driven less by operating system deadlines and more by the steady rollout of newer AI-capable systems.

What Does that Mean for ITADs?

This analysis is reserved for clients subscribing to the Pulse Service.

Already a subscriber? Please log in here.

Not a Pulse subscriber? Click here to subscribe
Book a 90-minute Premium Analyst Presentation on this Topic

Author: David Daoud | Principal Analyst

David Daoud has researched the mainstream IT hardware market since 1996 and expanded into hardware disposition research in 2003. He has spearheaded the creation of IDC’s GRADE certification. Since then, David has been providing consulting and expert advice to companies looking to establish best practice in their IT equipment decommissioning and helped leading ITAD service providers assess demand, understand competition, and forecast what’s to come. David is currently the Principal Analyst at Compliance Standards, which focuses entirely on the end-of-life of IT equipment. He can be reached at 508-981-6937 or at ddaoud@compliance-standards.com
Event: Invitation to Two Strategy
Sessions at EScrap 2025
[Grapevine, TX., Oct. 2025]

MORE ANALYSES:

HP Inc.’s 3Q2025 Earnings Results & Implications for EOL Sectors

HP’s third quarter 2025 earnings delivered a stable financial performance, with 3% revenue growth and strong free cash flow. Behind the numbers, HP revealed stronger-than-expected PC sales driven by education demand, enterprise refresh cycles, and accelerating...

ITAD Receives Strategic Investments from Two Private Equity Firms

In the fragmented IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) sector, two recent announcements highlight the sustained investor interest in the industry. The first is Achieve Capital announcing a strategic investment into Vantage Point ITAD, a move aimed at scaling a regional...

AI’s Transformative Impact on ITAD Procurement

This report is about how artificial intelligence is quietly but decisively transforming the way enterprises evaluate ITAD providers. Compliance Standards just concluded a survey of 400 US companies and found a substantial shift taking place in the way RFPs are...

SOME PREMIUM SERVICES:

OUR PRODUCTS & SERVICES

1. OFF-THE SHELF SERVICES

Gain flexible, on-demand access to our specialized industry analysts with the Analyst-on-Retainer plan. This service provides your organization with dedicated expert time each month to validate strategy, research competitors, and get direct input on critical trends in ITAD, sustainability, and AI. Empower your entire team—from sales to leadership—to make informed, data-driven decisions without the cost and commitment of a full-scale consulting project. This is the entry level service that provides you with full analyst focus and attention. To learn more and/or subscribe, follow this link.

Published research on the mega trends and factors affecting ITAD, sustainability and circular IT, from ESG, AI and IT decommissioning to plant technology and economics. To learn more and/or subscribe follow this link.

We provide comprehensive risk management and compliance solutions to safeguard your organization. Our expert services deliver assurance through formal reports like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA readiness assessments. We also strengthen your internal controls with IT SOX audits and manage your third-party vendor risks, ensuring your operations are secure, compliant, and resilient from every angle. This service is best suited for vendors who must upgrade their ISMS practices and companies on the end-user side looking to incorporate ISMS in their vendor selection and procurement requirements. Learn more here.

2. CUSTOM ENGAGEMENTS

We produce unique content that clients can leverage in their marketing campaigns. With unique data from CS, clients can transform themselves into thought leaders. We do the work behind the scenes, helping customers improve their image, attract attention and win new customers. CONTACT US TO INQUIRE.

There are two sections in this offerings. First is the consulting service to help you plan your go-to-market, sales, marketing and PR Strategies. We provide you with support to understand your prospective clients and competition. Then there is the execution with sessions to reach prospective clients. We leverage our relationships with media giants to reach an audience of IT services buyers and promote you with marketing and leads generations. CONTACT US TO INQUIRE.

In our competitive anlyses, we assess the reputation of ITAD vendors from the perspective of their clients and employees. This service is best suited for end-user companies doing due diligence on their current or potential vendors, investment stakeholders and even ITAD executives interested in a different perspective on competition. CONTACT US TO INQUIRE.

We conduct industry surveys to assess where the sector is headed. These surveys are typically multi-client sponsored.  We welcome companies interested in sponsoring these surveys. We also conduct ITAD-specific surveys, engaging with ITAD leaders to gauge the health of the sector and outlook. Contact us to learn more. CONTACT US TO INQUIRE