Tariffs could further disrupt the stability of the PC hardware market – and this new study suggests it’s best to buy right now

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Tariffs could further disrupt the stability of the PC hardware market – and this new study suggests it’s best to buy right now

A new IDC study shows an increase in desktop PC and laptop sales in North America compared to Q1 2024
This is likely a result of US tariff uncertainty, with manufacturers warning consumers about possible shortages
There’s a chance that the 90-day pause could be turned back

While the PC hardware market has always had cases of high demand for certain desktop components (notably GPUs) and laptops, it’s arguably now hitting unprecedented levels due to US tariffs, and a new study corroborates this.

As reported by NotebookCheck, evidence from IDC (which tracks hardware sales) suggests that desktop and laptop sales in North America have spiked since US tariffs were implemented, and manufacturers have also warned consumers about potential shortages in supply, effectively leading to panic buying.

The study shows that in Q1 2025, compared to Q1 2024, laptop sales have increased by 26.9%, and desktops rose by 35.3%. This appears to stem from a fear that prices may suddenly skyrocket or, worse, sales may be paused. We’ve seen this happen with Razer, which previously halted its laptop sales due to US tariffs.

Notably, there is still a 90-day pause active on larger tariffs, while the 10% base tariff on imports to the US remains. However, there’s uncertainty about whether this will be undone, which could affect sales of PC hardware. A large majority of PC hardware manufacturing takes place in China, and tariffs are now up to 145% on all of its imports into the US.

It’s no surprise, then, to see sales hike significantly, before matters spiral out of control – and based on the trend of the GPU market, it might be a good idea to buy any PC hardware at retail price while things are relatively stable – as who knows what chaos the US tarrifs could unleash if they are reinstated.

(Image credit: Ninma)

Now is the best time to buy what you need, just not at any ridiculous pricing

Demand for PC hardware is arguably at the highest it’s been (particularly compared to the Covid-19 period), but the one thing we must not do is purchase overpriced products.

While I’ll say that this is particularly true when it comes to GPUs, with prices soaring far above what they launched at, the same applies to pre-built desktop PCs and laptops. Fortunately, I’ve not seen cases of either pre-built systems or laptops being obscenely overpriced, which is probably because they’ve always been slightly expensive to begin with (especially high-end configurations).

I’m sure we all hope tariffs don’t get out of hand, and since there’s not much clarity on how the PC market will be impacted in the near future, now could be the best time to jump on any appealing hardware deals you find.