rewrite this title There's a quiet PC boom happening – thanks to Windows 10 and the tariffs

Worries over Trump tariffs and the end of support for Windows 10 both contributed to a rise in PC shipments during the first quarter of 2025, Gartner said Monday. In a new report, the research firm pegged the increase at 12.6% over the same quarter in 2024, totaling more than 16 million computers shipped over the past three months.

Also: Windows 10 PC can’t be upgraded? You have 5 options and 6 months to take action

As the Trump administration takes the US on a roller coaster ride of on-and-off tariffs, businesses have been unsure how to react. But in anticipation of new and severe tariffs, PC makers increased their inventory, resulting in more products available to individual and enterprise customers.

At the same time, the end of support for Windows 10 in October is forcing more people to upgrade to Windows 11. With many older PCs unable to support Windows 11, consumers and companies alike have had to purchase replacement computers.

Gartner’s data includes desktop and laptop PCs equipped with Windows, MacOS, or Chrome OS. However, the market remains on shaky ground as customers are cautious about their PC spending.

Also: The best laptops: Expert tested and reviewed

“In the US, the PC market experienced a surge in shipments as vendors increased inventory in anticipation of tariff announcements, resulting in 12.6% year-over-year growth,” Gartner research principal Rishi Padhi said in the report. “Despite this increase and the subsequent strong topline growth, underlying end-user demand remained cautious, even with the added boost from enterprises upgrading PCs for Windows 11.”

Which PC vendors experienced growth?

Among the top six PC vendors in the US all experienced growth in shipments last quarter compared with the same period in 2024.

In first place was HP, with 4.1 million PCs shipped and a 25.1% market share. Next was Dell, with shipments of 3.9 million and a 23.9% slice of the market. In third was Lenovo, with 3.1 million shipments and a 19.2% share.

Also: Why I recommend this budget Lenovo ThinkPad over laptops that cost twice as much

Next in line was Apple, with 2.6 million computers shipped and a 15.9% share of the market. Acer shipped 944,000 PCs and held a 5.8% share. ASUS followed with shipments of 464,000 and a 2.8% market share.

What about globally?

On a global scale, PC shipments also rose last quarter, reaching 58.9 million, up from 56.2 million in the prior year’s quarter. However, the percentage gain was just 4.8 percent. Globally, Lenovo took first place, followed by HP, Dell, Apple, Acer, and ASUS. The global market was boosted largely by demand in the US and Japan, but for different reasons.

Also: 3 Apple devices you definitely shouldn’t buy this month (and 10 to get instead)

“In Japan, strong business PC demand driven by Windows 11 replacements, coupled with the adoption of Chromebooks, significantly contributed to shipment growth of 15.6 percent,” Padhi said. “Vendors participating in the GIGA education Chromebook replacement program capitalized on this opportunity by offering upgrades to older devices, thereby sustaining momentum in the market.”

Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.