The Havoc of Modern Refresh Cycles: Why the Enterprise Is All Over the Place on Revitalizing Hardware
ITPro, Wednesday, October 7th, 2026
Memory shortages, AI PCs and Windows changes have broken the predictable three-to-four-year hardware refresh cycle.
Experts tell ITPro that the traditional calendar-driven three-to-four-year endpoint refresh has given way to a mix of cycles, driven by AI PCs, the memory supply crisis, rising prices and Microsoft's Windows timelines.
Refresh decisions now depend on device type, the device's role in the business and budget pressure, not just age, and while experts disagree on whether the cycle is dead, most agree the market is splitting by technology and use case.
IT leaders are advised to plan refreshes around several factors rather than a fixed date.