Tracking Market Conditions

AI PCs: 10 Things ITADs and Recyclers Should Expect Four Years from Now, Setting Aside Tariff Drama

Setting aside the unfolding tariff war drama and its impact on a large swaths of industries, including ITAD, a new generation of AI-capable laptops, desktops, workstations, and servers will hit the market this year, albeit at a slower pace than expected, promising to change what we know about computing devices. IT asset disposition (ITAD) professionals […] Continue reading below.
Number of readers who accessed this analysis : 296

Setting aside the unfolding tariff war drama and its impact on a large swaths of industries, including ITAD, a new generation of AI-capable laptops, desktops, workstations, and servers will hit the market this year, albeit at a slower pace than expected, promising to change what we know about computing devices. IT asset disposition (ITAD) professionals will also need to prepare for a wave of hardware unlike anything they’ve processed before. We looked at a number of new devices announced in March 2025, like the NVIDIA DGX Spark, Dell Pro Max with GB300, HP ZBook Fury G1i, and Lenovo’s AI-enhanced ThinkBook series, and we saw a significant leap in performance, architectural complexity and data-bearing potential. Within four to five years, these systems will begin entering decommissioning pipelines. And when they do, ITAD companies will need to rethink everything from teardown to resale strategy. A large part of the future problems that ITAD will experience will clearly come from lack of OEM and manufacturer attention, as evidence in points 1 through 3 below.

If you are a recycler or an ITAD processor, here are ten things we began to identify as game changers:


Already registered?  Click here to login

Author: David Daoud

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:

Corporate Sustainability Brief: Samsung Electronics

I recently moderated a session at REMA 2025 in San Diego with Samsung Electronics' sustainability leaders, Daniel Araujo and Jenni Chun. It was a great conversation about what one of the world’s biggest technology companies is doing to make sustainability real—not...

Rethinking Data Security in the New Generation of Enterprise AI Devices

By David Daoud: We spent some time looking at the latest generation of computing devices and how the embedding of AI could drastically reshape the risk profile of corporate IT departments. The new systems that are about to replace the PCs, systems that we’ve known for...

How Tariffs Are Threatening PC Industry Recovery, But ITAD May Be Entering New Phase of Strategic Relevance

Tariffs are creating a new crisis that’s throwing the PC industry into disarray. While OEMs are halting shipments, we spoke to CIOs who are slashing budgets, and in our discussions with ITADs, the secondary market is also flooded with uncertainty. But setting aside the normal reaction we are seeing, in this chaos lies opportunity. With the right playbook, OEMs can stabilize operations, CIOs can shield their transformation agendas, and more than ever before, ITAD firms can absolutely emerge as strategic enablers in a reshaped hardware landscape.

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