[Gartner] Q1 PC Sales down 1.4%

[jpiniero]

https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3871149

Down 3% in the US and almost 6% in China. The growth area was EMEA, particularly Russia (?)

Seems like this is mostly corporate refreshes, perhaps of migration to Windows 10 as evidenced by Dell doing well. That's usually a bad sign for AMD since how much in the tank Dell is for Intel.

 

[Burpo]

CPU's and Overclocking?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Now we need the JPR numbers for "Enthusiast / Gaming" segment.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Lol, where is that guy who last year insisted PC sales were going to “explode” in 2017 and 2018, and anyone who disagreed with him was using “old” thinking?

 

[cellarnoise]

The great recession is just / still playing out over time.. from my perspective of watching amortized resources that were somewhat delayed (smartly I might add) This might be delayed and accelerate depending on tech. My org is just now replacing desktops and laptops at a faster pace. We know how far tech as come. Most are trying to wait for the low powered quads and faster memory, faster wireless ect.. Older folk, very much becoming an age based issue over time....

Lower powered and portable/ and higher quality-value driven touch devices, maybe even with driven even more by higher valued sales. A few (5%) need and want and don't care about power usage. The power high usage hungry really need and want great single and more core cpus.... Single and many core ability are great...! Some need desktop heat dissipation CPU power and GPU dissipation for longer term heat. Some need portability and compromise.

The CPUers have been all about heat vs. portability since a long time Maybe since my Athlon single core 1200 mhz days. And then prior to that it was an emerging market where everyone did not know what they could even want.... What could be better for music than an 8 track cassette tape anyway? Quadraphonic from 1980 anyone? Higher speed tape was great back in the day. Hiding poor quality has value!

 

[Tup3x]

Yet components sell very well.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yet components sell very well.

Yeah, where did all those video cards go...

 

[scannall]

There hasn't been a new 'Killer App' for quite a while that needed a lot more CPU horsepower. And CPU progress has been pretty slow for quite a few generations, so people see no need to upgrade. Slow and/or diminishing sales shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[PeterScott]

My new PC purchase is on hold until sanity returns to the GPU/RAM markets.

 

[whm1974]

Are users buying more higher end CPUs due to the longer lifespan before needing to upgraded? I mean if you know that processor in your build could last you up to ten years, then wouldn't buying a high tier one make sense to ensure longevity?

 

[Markfw]

Actually, due to the longevity (as mentioned here) I would like to know how CPU sales and video card sales were doing. Video cards we know are good, they can't make enough. But CPU's are another story. Whats the trend on those ? in dollars and units.

 

[whm1974]

Actually, due to the longevity (as mentioned here) I would like to know how CPU sales and video card sales were doing. Video cards we know are good, they can't make enough. But CPU's are another story. Whats the trend on those ? in dollars and units.

I am having second thoughts about getting the i5-4670 instead of of the i7 I was considering five years ago. This due to the possibility of maybe being forced to keep my current rig for another five years. My previous computer I kept much longer then I planned on due to factors beyond my control. I had that one for seven years.

 

[ehume]

We finally replaced my wife's 2008 Dell (I know, but I wasn't building my own then) recently. If the switch on the case had not failed, and if I could reach said switch, we would still be using the ten-year-old machine. The only change we made was to swap out the HDD for an SSD.

 

[jpiniero]

Should mention that Gartner isn't including Chromebooks, but it's clear that plenty of people are buying them, at least in the US. I looked at Amazon's Top 20 "Best Sellers" just now and 7 were Chromebooks in the traditional laptop listing.

This is the data that I got:
Chromebooks - 7
Cheapo Laptops: A6-9220, E2-6110, N3060
Generic Laptops: 7100U, 7200U, A12-9720P, 8250Ux3
Gamer Laptops: 8250U+MX150, 7700HQ+1060-6GB, 7700HQ+1060-3GB
Macbook Air

 

[Spartak]

CPU sales arent included in this right? I'm curious how the market for DIY is in relation to the total PC market, and how it relates in volume (10%? 20%?)

 

[ksec]

Lot of IT and OEM are still shipping HDD, this way computer speed will always be in for an upgrade.

 

[chrisjames61]

CPU sales arent included in this right? I'm curious how the market for DIY is in relation to the total PC market, and how it relates in volume (10%? 20%?)

I know you are probably only thinking of desktop grade X86 cpu's but I would say cpu sales would be at a number almost beyond the realm of the imagination. After all every smart phone made has a ARM cpu in it. I really don't see how people can discern smart phones from pc's in 2018.

 

[chrisjames61]

Lot of IT and OEM are still shipping HDD, this way computer speed will always be in for an upgrade.

What are you trying to say here?

 

[WingZero30]

Are users buying more higher end CPUs due to the longer lifespan before needing to upgraded? I mean if you know that processor in your build could last you up to ten years, then wouldn't buying a high tier one make sense to ensure longevity?

This is exactly what I did. I bought 7980XE to last me at least 10-15 years.

 

[whm1974]

I know you are probably only thinking of desktop grade X86 cpu's but I would say cpu sales would be at a number almost beyond the realm of the imagination. After all every smart phone made has a ARM cpu in it. I really don't see how people can discern smart phones from pc's in 2018.

Because smart phones are not PCs.

 

[chrisjames61]

Because smart phones are not PCs.

Then explain why more and more people abandoning their pc's and using smart phones and tablets for a large majority of the things they once did on their pc's?

 

[whm1974]

Then explain why more and more people abandoning their pc's and using smart phones and tablets for a large majority of the things they once did on their pc's?

And why there are still so many folks who are still buying/building PCs? After all PC sales are only down by 1.4%, so folks are not ditching their computers for smartphones and tablets in droves.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

And why there are still so many folks who are still buying/building PCs? After all PC sales are only down by 1.4%, so folks are not ditching their computers for smartphones and tablets in droves.

1.4% decline this past *quarter* - did you miss the part where it said it was the 14th quarter in a row showing a decline?

People ARE skipping PC upgrades or purchases because of smart phones and tablets and have been doing so for years. The tablet market is dying and the smartphone market is also slowing down, due to everyone having "good enough" devices to meet their needs. Those who still use PCs are upgrading far less frequently.

 

[chrisjames61]

1.4% decline this past *quarter* - did you miss the part where it said it was the 14th quarter in a row showing a decline?

People ARE skipping PC upgrades or purchases because of smart phones and tablets and have been doing so for years. The tablet market is dying and the smartphone market is also slowing down, due to everyone having "good enough" devices to meet their needs. Those who still use PCs are upgrading far less frequently.

My reply was to someone who said that tablets and smartphones are not computers. It was not directed at you or your post.

 

[chrisjames61]

And why there are still so many folks who are still buying/building PCs? After all PC sales are only down by 1.4%, so folks are not ditching their computers for smartphones and tablets in droves.

whm1974, you seem to get the mistaken idea that the enthusiast market is big. I have news for you. It is a tiny, tiny niche. As far as pc sales only being down 1.4% this past year that means nothing. Compare desktop sales to pre iPhone levels in 2007 or pre iPad levels in 2010. That will give you a much better view of what is going on.