• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Worldwide Shipments of PCs and Tablets Will Maintain Growth Through 2021 But Future Opportunity Leans Towards Notebook PCs, According to IDC

AleksandarK

News Editor
Staff member
Joined
Aug 19, 2017
Messages
2,576 (0.97/day)
According to a new forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, worldwide shipments of PCs are expected to grow 14.2% to 347 million units in 2021. This is down from IDC's May forecast of 18% growth with continued supply chain and logistical challenges cited as the main reasons. The Tablet market is also expected to grow in 2021 but at a much slower pace of 3.4%.

"We continue to believe the PC and tablet markets are supply constrained and that demand is still there," said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "The lengthening of the supply shortages combined with on-going logistical issues are presenting the industry with some big challenges. However, we believe the vast majority of PC demand is non-perishable, especially from the business and education sectors."



Over the full 2021-2025 forecast period, Traditional PCs, inclusive of desktops, notebooks, and workstations, are expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2% while tablets are expected to decline 1.5%. Despite short-term supply constraints related to panels and ICs, notebook PCs will remain the main driver of future PC growth.

Personal computing devices played an instrumental role in many consumers' lives over the last eighteen months, enabling individuals to work, learn, game, and connect from home despite lockdowns and social distancing. Although COVID-19 cases are resurgent, eventually a level of normalcy will return. Even then, IDC expects personal computing devices to retain a central role in the personal lives of most.

"How much is this newfound PC centricity worth?" asked Linn Huang, research vice president, Devices & Displays at IDC. "In November of 2019, we published our last pre-pandemic forecast, which stretched out to 2023. At that juncture, we projected a total market of 367 million units in 2023. Today, we are expecting over half-a-billion units of personal computing devices to be shipped that year. So how much is that compute centricity worth? A simplified view would suggest about 135 million units or 37% more than the original market forecast."

In the latter years of the forecast, consumer spending is expected to rebalance towards travel and leisure - the categories of spending that suffered most during the various states of lockdown - and away from technology. Additionally, the strong quarterly performances over the last year will eventually catch up with the market and drive unreachable comparisons. In short, a market slowdown is inevitable. However, even when it does occur, the total available market for personal computing devices will be significantly greater than it would have been if not for the months spent working, learning, gaming, and connecting on these devices during the pandemic.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 

ixi

Joined
Aug 19, 2014
Messages
1,451 (0.39/day)
Nothing new really, because desktop parts cost is through roof :). While you can get garbage laptop starting from 300e.
 

TheLostSwede

News Editor
Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Messages
17,586 (2.40/day)
Location
Sweden
System Name Overlord Mk MLI
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard Gigabyte X670E Aorus Master
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE with offsets
Memory 32GB Team T-Create Expert DDR5 6000 MHz @ CL30-34-34-68
Video Card(s) Gainward GeForce RTX 4080 Phantom GS
Storage 1TB Solidigm P44 Pro, 2 TB Corsair MP600 Pro, 2TB Kingston KC3000
Display(s) Acer XV272K LVbmiipruzx 4K@160Hz
Case Fractal Design Torrent Compact
Audio Device(s) Corsair Virtuoso SE
Power Supply be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850 W
Mouse Logitech G502 Lightspeed
Keyboard Corsair K70 Max
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores https://valid.x86.fr/yfsd9w
I thought the desktop died a decade ago and tablets were ruling the world...
Sorry, but I would never swap my desktop for a laptop, why would I want to limit myself that much?
In all fairness, "most" people don't need a desktop, but when you do, you really do.
 

Fourstaff

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
10,077 (1.84/day)
Location
Home
System Name Orange! // ItchyHands
Processor 3570K // 10400F
Motherboard ASRock z77 Extreme4 // TUF Gaming B460M-Plus
Cooling Stock // Stock
Memory 2x4Gb 1600Mhz CL9 Corsair XMS3 // 2x8Gb 3200 Mhz XPG D41
Video Card(s) Sapphire Nitro+ RX 570 // Asus TUF RTX 2070
Storage Samsung 840 250Gb // SX8200 480GB
Display(s) LG 22EA53VQ // Philips 275M QHD
Case NZXT Phantom 410 Black/Orange // Tecware Forge M
Power Supply Corsair CXM500w // CM MWE 600w
I thought the desktop died a decade ago and tablets were ruling the world...
Sorry, but I would never swap my desktop for a laptop, why would I want to limit myself that much?
In all fairness, "most" people don't need a desktop, but when you do, you really do.
I use both desktops and laptops, each of them have strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately desktop's strength in brute force processing power is being used by less people each passing day.
 

TheLostSwede

News Editor
Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Messages
17,586 (2.40/day)
Location
Sweden
System Name Overlord Mk MLI
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard Gigabyte X670E Aorus Master
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE with offsets
Memory 32GB Team T-Create Expert DDR5 6000 MHz @ CL30-34-34-68
Video Card(s) Gainward GeForce RTX 4080 Phantom GS
Storage 1TB Solidigm P44 Pro, 2 TB Corsair MP600 Pro, 2TB Kingston KC3000
Display(s) Acer XV272K LVbmiipruzx 4K@160Hz
Case Fractal Design Torrent Compact
Audio Device(s) Corsair Virtuoso SE
Power Supply be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850 W
Mouse Logitech G502 Lightspeed
Keyboard Corsair K70 Max
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores https://valid.x86.fr/yfsd9w
I use both desktops and laptops, each of them have strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately desktop's strength in brute force processing power is being used by less people each passing day.
Oh, I have a laptop as well, but I only use that when I'm away from my desktop and need a computer.
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2020
Messages
1,753 (1.03/day)
I am skeptical with the predictions here though. They are assuming people are going to continue buying laptops in large numbers after a lot of working adults and students have gone out to get a laptop to work or study from home last year. Furthermore, prices of PCs whether its laptop or desktop is creeping up continuously, which will further dampen demand. The only saving grace is that we are approaching the holiday seasons which may some what sustain the demand for hardware.
 
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Messages
2,176 (1.13/day)
Location
LV-426
System Name Custom
Processor i9 9900k
Motherboard Gigabyte Z390 arous master
Cooling corsair h150i
Memory 4x8 3200mhz corsair
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 EX Gamer White OC
Storage 500gb Samsung 970 Evo PLus
Display(s) MSi MAG341CQ
Case Lian Li Pc-011 Dynamic
Audio Device(s) Arctis Pro Wireless
Power Supply 850w Seasonic Focus Platinum
Mouse Logitech G403
Keyboard Logitech G110
i would have both a desktop and a laptop - if its straight down to work
i personally dont like the tablets with attachable keyboard and stuff - they are great if you are reading e-book or browsing stuff at a cafe or on the couch
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2014
Messages
671 (0.18/day)
System Name Work in progress
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Motherboard Asus PRIME B350M-A
Cooling Wraith Stealth Cooler, 4x140mm Noctua NF-A14 FLX 1200RPM Case Fans
Memory Corsair 16GB (2x8GB) CMK16GX4M2A2400C14R DDR4 2400MHz Vengeance LPX DIMM
Video Card(s) GTX 1050 2GB (for now) 3060 12GB on order
Storage Samsung 860 EVO 500GB, Lots of HDD storage
Display(s) 32 inch 4K LG, 55 & 48 inch LG OLED, 40 inch Panasonic LED LCD
Case Cooler Master Silencio S400
Audio Device(s) Sound: LG Monitor Built-in speakers (currently), Mike: Marantz MaZ
Power Supply Corsair CS550M 550W ATX Power Supply, 80+ Gold Certified, Semi-Modular Design
Mouse Logitech M280
Keyboard Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750R (works best in summer)
VR HMD none
Software Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64bit OEM, Captur 1 21
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R20: 3508 (WIP)
My desktop wouldn't even sh!t on your notebook. PC rules in everything but language!
 
Last edited:
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
3,872 (0.89/day)
System Name Skunkworks 3.0
Processor 5800x3d
Motherboard x570 unify
Cooling Noctua NH-U12A
Memory 32GB 3600 mhz
Video Card(s) asrock 6800xt challenger D
Storage Sabarent rocket 4.0 2TB, MX 500 2TB
Display(s) Asus 1440p144 27"
Case Old arse cooler master 932
Power Supply Corsair 1200w platinum
Mouse *squeak*
Keyboard Some old office thing
Software Manjaro
I use both desktops and laptops, each of them have strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately desktop's strength in brute force processing power is being used by less people each passing day.
The growth of gaming and workstation PCs would indicate that to be incorrect.
 
Top