Business

Black Friday 2025 signals seismic shifts in AI-driven PC hardware market

Friday, 21 November 2025 8:41PM UTC

Amid aggressive discounts and supply chain tensions, Black Friday 2025 reveals a transforming PC industry, with AI integration poised to redefine pricing, availability, and consumer choices in the coming years.

Black Friday 2025 has emerged as a pivotal moment in the PC hardware industry, underscored by a dual narrative of aggressive consumer discounts and the profound impact of artificial intelligence driving market dynamics. Industry-wide, retailers and manufacturers have deployed a strategic blend of discounts on GPUs, CPUs, and SSDs to stimulate consumer demand while managing inventory in the face of an evolving tech landscape. The deals not only offer value for consumers upgrading their systems but also signal a transitional phase as next-generation AI-integrated hardware looms on the horizon, promising to reshape pricing and availability.

Within the graphics card segment, NVIDIA continues to dominate, with its RTX 50-series GPUs receiving notable discounts despite the high demand from AI workloads. Models like the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB have been seen marked down by $20 below MSRP, while the RTX 5070 12GB and the 5070 Ti offer significant value propositions for gamers seeking high-resolution performance at competitive prices. Market observers have noted these discounts as efforts to clear current inventories ahead of newer releases featuring NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture, which ensures the company's ongoing leadership in AI and gaming ecosystems. AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series and Intel's Arc B580 GPUs have similarly been competitively priced, reflecting fierce market rivalry and a push to maintain or expand consumer share before the next innovation wave materializes.

Central processing units have been another highlight of Black Friday 2025, with both Intel and AMD offering steep reductions on their latest and previous generation chips. Intel's 14th-generation and Arrow Lake processors, such as the Core i5 14600K at $149 and discounts on Core Ultra models, showcase Intel’s tactical pricing to defend its market presence amid intensifying competition. Parallel efforts by AMD, including cuts on Ryzen 9000 series processors and older AM4 Ryzen models, underscore the CPU market’s heated competition and the strategic importance of these sales in a period marked by the impending conclusion of Windows 10 support, which is driving a global refresh cycle for PCs.

The solid-state drive market presents a more complex picture. This year’s Black Friday deals have brought notable discounts on high-performance PCIe Gen4 and Gen5 NVMe SSDs from Samsung, Crucial, and Western Digital, reaching speeds of over 14,000 MB/s. However, these consumer benefits sit alongside serious warnings about an imminent "NAND apocalypse." Analysts have highlighted escalating NAND and DRAM prices, driven by overwhelming AI data centre demand, which is causing manufacturers to retract from offering extensive promotions. Brands like PNY have already suspended some Black Friday offers on USB flash storage due to soaring memory component costs, illuminating growing supply chain pressures that may push prices higher in the near future and limit availability for general consumers.

From a competitive standpoint, Black Friday 2025 reveals significant strategic moves by key industry players. NVIDIA’s near-monopoly in discrete GPUs and its strong AI sector alliances allow it to selectively discount mid-range models while restricting deep cuts on top-tier products, maintaining profitability in an increasingly AI-driven market. AMD leverages aggressive CPU discounts and GPU bundles to consolidate gains in the x86 space, even as it confronts challenges in reclaiming GPU market share. Meanwhile, Intel's pricing strategies on its popular Raptor Lake CPUs, amid reports of planned price increases due to weak uptake of newer AI-focused Arrow Lake chips, reflect a business recalibration aimed at defending market share while shifting priorities toward server and mobile segments. Complementing these dynamics, Samsung and Micron are navigating the dual pressures of consumer demand and enterprise AI needs in the SSD and memory markets, balancing competitive pricing with strategic focus on AI-optimised high-value memory products.

The broader technological and market context of Black Friday 2025 elucidates the complex forces shaping PC hardware. Notably, the global PC market is poised for revival in 2025, propelled by a Windows 10 end-of-life transition and rapid adoption of AI-enhanced PCs featuring integrated Neural Processing Units (NPUs), which are expected to constitute nearly 44% of shipments by year-end. However, consumer behaviour remains cautious, with shoppers actively seeking bargains amid rising component costs and the looming threat of tariffs that could raise prices further. Inventory landscape assessments show some buffering in supply for Q4 2025, yet the sharp climb in DRAM costs, already doubled due to AI hyperscalers, foreshadows constrained availability and increasing prices into 2026. This volatility is intensifying the urgency for Black Friday buyers, who may be facing a narrow window to acquire components at current prices before broad market hikes.

Looking beyond the immediate sales period, the PC hardware sector anticipates a potentially turbulent 2026 shaped by continuing memory shortages and AI-driven demand shifts. Experts forecast rising laptop prices by 5-15% and a contraction in PC and smartphone shipments, as well as the introduction of advanced architectures such as AMD's Zen 6 and Intel's Nova Lake with enhanced AI acceleration. Memory technologies will evolve with DDR6 RAM and GDDR7 GPU memory offering greater bandwidth and speed. The market may also experience structural changes, including possible shortages in low-end processors following Intel’s shift away from this segment, affording opportunities for AMD and Qualcomm to expand. Gaming and esports hardware remain robust markets, while innovations in AI PCs and ARM-based systems are projected to accelerate significantly. Emerging technologies like brain-computer interfaces might begin to find early applications, reflecting a broader transformation in computing paradigms.

In summary, Black Friday 2025 stands as a landmark event marking both the opportunities and challenges faced by the PC hardware industry. Consumers accessing substantial discounts benefit from the chance to upgrade amid an increasingly AI-centric computing world, yet they do so against the backdrop of supply constraints and price inflation looming on the horizon. The memory market’s acute pressures and corporate strategies signal that the era of affordable, high-performance PC components is potentially drawing to a close, replaced by a premiumisation trend driven by AI capabilities and enterprise demand. Industry watchers and consumers alike will need to navigate this complex environment with caution and strategic foresight, as the echoes of Black Friday 2025 resonate through the market’s evolution in coming years.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (TokenRing AI via WRAL FinancialContent) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
^[2] (TechRadar) - Paragraph 4
^[3] (GamesRadar) - Paragraph 3
^[4] (WindowsCentral) - Paragraph 5
^[5] (Reuters) - Paragraph 5
^[6] (WindowsCentral) - Paragraph 3
^[7] (Tom's Hardware) - Paragraph 3

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://markets.financialcontent.com/wral/article/tokenring-2025-11-21-black-friday-2025-a-deep-dive-into-pc-hardware-deals-amidst-ai-boom-and-shifting-markets - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.techradar.com/pro/top-pc-hardware-maker-says-no-more-black-friday-deals-pny-halts-new-promotions-as-fears-of-rising-costs-spread - PNY, a leading PC hardware manufacturer, has suspended upcoming Black Friday promotions for its USB flash storage products due to escalating NAND memory costs. This decision highlights growing concerns over a tightening supply chain for memory components, intensified by increased demand from AI hardware. Reports indicate that NAND and DRAM prices have more than doubled, with pre-sold capacity for 2026 already booked. The shortage affects a wide range of products, from USB drives to high-end SSDs and DDR5 RAM kits, leading to notable price hikes for consumers. PNY clarified that not all deals are cancelled, but the move signals industry-wide caution. The situation is particularly critical for NAND-based products like SSDs, which lack the mechanical components of HDDs and are thus more vulnerable to such price volatility. As these component shortages continue, manufacturers may struggle to maintain discounted prices and stable supply, potentially impacting upcoming consumer sales and PC builds.
https://www.gamesradar.com/best-black-friday-gaming-laptop-deals-sales/ - The article provides a comprehensive overview of early Black Friday 2025 gaming laptop deals, showcasing the most significant price drops available on high-performance machines. It highlights the debut of RTX 50-series GPUs as the latest innovation in gaming laptops while older 40-series models continue to offer strong competition. Entry-level deals begin under $1,000, including the HP Omen 16 (RTX 5060) at $999.99, while high-end configurations such as RTX 5070 and RTX 5080 machines from Alienware, Razer, and HP see savings of up to $900. Key highlights include the Razer Blade 16 with an RTX 5060 for $1,599.99 and the HP Omen Max 16 RTX 5080 OLED version for $2,649.99. Recommendations are made for various user types, from casual gamers (RTX 4050/5050) to hardcore users seeking the latest tech (RTX 5080/5090). Tips on specs, pricing expectations, and where to find the best deals are provided, along with standout mentions of five top models to watch during the sale period. The piece encourages buyers to act swiftly with a clear wishlist to capture time-sensitive flash deals.
https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/intel/intel-report-raptor-lake-price-increase-ai - Intel is planning to raise the prices of its 13th Gen 'Raptor Lake' desktop CPUs by over 10% starting in Q4 2025, despite their age and the recent release of AI-enabled Core Ultra processors. This decision stems from unexpectedly weak consumer interest in Intel’s newer AI-driven 'Arrow Lake' chips, which have underperformed in both sales and performance, particularly in the high-end desktop segment. As a result, older Raptor Lake models—with their strong performance and familiar branding—continue to be in high demand. Prices for mid-range models like the Core i5-13400 and Core i7-13700K are expected to increase from around $199 to $220 and $345 to $380, respectively. The announcement comes amid broader struggles in Intel's CPU business, including executive admissions of Arrow Lake's shortcomings and a recent $8.9 billion U.S. government investment for a 9.9% stake in Intel. Intel also recently shifted support for older CPUs, including 13th Gen chips, to a legacy model with reduced GPU update frequency. Nonetheless, Raptor Lake CPUs remain popular, especially among gamers and users uninterested in AI features.
https://www.reuters.com/business/amd-forecasts-fourth-quarter-revenue-above-estimates-2025-11-04/ - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has forecast better-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue, projecting approximately $9.6 billion, driven by surging demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) chips amid expanding data center infrastructure investments. Major contributors include OpenAI and the U.S. Department of Energy, reflecting confidence in AMD’s role in the AI hardware space. Despite strong growth, concerns linger about a potential AI bubble and whether heavy spending will yield sustainable returns. AMD’s third-quarter results exceeded expectations, generating $9.25 billion in sales, with its data center segment revenue rising 22% to $4.3 billion. The company has gained licenses to sell modified AI chips in China and aims to scale up AI system production. A landmark multi-year deal with OpenAI could deliver tens of billions in revenue, involving the deployment of hundreds of thousands of GPUs. While AMD's prospects in AI are strengthening, Nvidia remains dominant in the GPU market. AMD's client segment also saw a 46% revenue increase due to rising demand for AI PCs and a Windows upgrade cycle. The company reported a third-quarter adjusted gross margin of 54% and earnings of $1.20 per share, beating analyst estimates.
https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/gpus/newegg-has-a-special-11-percent-discount-offer-for-one-of-the-most-powerful-and-costly-gpus-this-may-be-your-final-chance-before-the-rumored-gpu-price-spike-becomes-real - Newegg is offering an 11% early Black Friday discount on the powerful NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, bringing the price down from $559.99 to $499.99 — or $479.99 if you use a Newegg rebate card. This discount may be timely, as rumors suggest future GPU prices could rise due to increased demand from AI applications. Praised by reviewers (e.g., PC Gamer gave it an 86/100), the RTX 5070 is nearly on par with the much pricier RTX 5080, delivering high-performance gaming at 1440p and 4K resolutions while costing about half as much. It supports the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, includes 12GB GDDR7 VRAM with 28GB/s speed, DLSS 4 AI upscaling, and NVIDIA Reflex 2 for reduced latency — ideal for competitive games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6. Other features include PCIe 5.0 support, HDMI 2.1a, DisplayPort 1.4a, and dual-fan cooling. Due to potential cancellations of higher-end 'Super' variants from NVIDIA and looming component shortages, now may be the best time to secure this GPU ahead of the holiday price surge.
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/best-cpu-deals - This article provides a comprehensive overview of the best Black Friday 2025 CPU deals, highlighting significant discounts on both Intel and AMD processors. For Intel, the flagship Core Ultra 9 285K is at an all-time low price of $429.99, down from $599, offering 24 cores and boost clocks up to 5.7 GHz. The Core Ultra 5 225F is discounted to $171.46, down from $231, featuring a 10-core configuration. The Core i9-14900K is available at $447.48, reduced from $649.99, boasting 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores with a peak clock speed of 6.0 GHz. On the AMD side, the Ryzen 5 7600X is priced at $176.94, down from $299, offering 6 cores with a base clock of 4.6 GHz and a boost clock of 5.3 GHz. These deals reflect the competitive nature of the CPU market and the impact of Black Friday promotions on pricing strategies.

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Score: 8

Notes: The narrative provides a comprehensive analysis of Black Friday 2025 PC hardware deals, incorporating recent data and projections. While it includes updated information, it references older material, which may impact its freshness score. The earliest known publication date of similar content is November 4, 2025. The inclusion of updated data justifies this high score, but there is some repetition and referencing of older material that should be flagged for review.

Black Friday 2025
PC hardware
AI technology