Gartner predicts sub-$500 entry-level PCs will vanish by 2028

Top analyst firm Gartner says the sub-$500 entry-level, non-gaming PC segment will have disappeared by 2028 as memory costs climb and other supply-chain factors push prices upward. The report, titled "Entry-Level PCs Face Obsolescence," warns that "PC memory costs are expected to peak at 23% of the total bill-of-materials (BOM) up from 16% in 2025." "This sharp increase removes vendors’ ability to absorb costs, making low-margin entry-level laptops nonviable," says Atrwal.

"Ultimately, we expect the sub-$500 entry-level PC segment will disappear by 2028." For gamers this may not be surprising, since gaming-capable machines typically carry a price premium, but Gartner notes that it's still possible today to find a discrete GPU-less productivity PC for well under $500.

Such machines are commonly recommended for everyday use where an ageing-but-fine CPU, sufficient RAM, and modest SSD storage suffice.

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