5 things I want from the PC hardware industry in 2025

PC hardware experienced disappointing launches, unwanted delays and defective products in 2024. Next-generation graphics cards from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel have been delayed until next year, and the CPUs we got this year were lukewarm at best. Lofty marketing claims fell flat in the face of third-party benchmarks, and pricing remained a thorn in the side of gamers eyeing new GPUs.

So it only makes sense for me to put together my PC hardware wish list for 2025 – the things I want to see from manufacturers and the industry in general. This applies to CPUs, graphics cards, SSDs and motherboards, as we approach a year in which DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 may completely replace the previous generation standards, hopefully ushering in a new (and potentially more affordable) era of desktop computing.

5 Cheaper Gen5 SSDs

It's about time

PCIe 5.0 (or Gen5) SSDs have been on the market for quite some time. We've been complaining all along that they do next to nothing for players. Well, 2025 seems like the right time for technologies like DirectStorage to finally become mainstream in gaming and for Gen5 SSDs to become more attractive not just for productivity workloads but for PC gaming as well.

To make Gen5 SSDs more palatable to newcomers and those looking for upgrades, prices need to come down quickly.

As things currently stand, you have to spend almost 100% more for a Gen5 SSD than for a Gen4 model for the same capacity. To make Gen5 SSDs more palatable to newcomers and those looking for upgrades, prices need to come down quickly. We're seeing faster and faster Gen5 SSDs coming to market and breaking previous records for sequential read/write speeds, but it's time to introduce some record-breaking prices too – in the downward direction.

4 Cheaper motherboards

I'm tired of spending $200 on a motherboard

It wasn't that long ago that motherboards only cost a small portion of the overall PC budget. I still remember buying an Asus B350 motherboard in 2017 for just around $115 (at 2017 USD-INR conversion) for my Ryzen 5 1600 system. In 2022 I saw myself spending $190 on a budget B550 motherboard. In 2024, motherboard prices will continue to rise.

I know people have gotten used to $200-$300 motherboards, but I would like to see good options in the $150 range in 2025.

With the introduction of the new Arrow Lake and Zen 5 processors from Intel and AMD, numerous new motherboards have come onto the market. These boards come at a significant price premium compared to previous generation boards, with AMD's 800 series only being minor updates. I know people have gotten used to $200-$300 motherboards, but I would like to see good options in the $150 range in 2025.

Considering that no one should actually be buying the disappointing Ryzen 9000 CPUs – whether they're building them new or upgrading from Zen 4 – AMD's 800-series motherboards are going to have to get really cheap very soon. Even the Arrow Lake CPUs don't offer much in terms of generational gains, so PC makers can realistically wait to purchase the new Intel 800-series motherboards, leading to some price corrections next year.

3 More competition from Intel

Lack of competition is not good for anyone

2024 was a disaster for Intel – the Raptor Lake CPUs had to undergo an exorcism to return to normal functioning, the stock price fell to 2012 levels, and there were even talks of a split into two entities. Then came another setback when the long-awaited Arrow Lake CPUs were met with terrible response. Gaming performance was Slower as Raptor Lake as well as Zen 5 (and Zen 4), and productivity gains were nothing to get excited about.

Over the next year, I want to see Intel move from a one-sided CPU line to something that's actually worth considering.

In short, Intel has managed to reduce power consumption compared to the unusually high levels of the Raptor Lake chips without achieving any significant performance gains. Starting difficulties are to be expected on a new platform, but the result was shockingly poor. Over the next year, I want to see Intel move from a one-sided CPU line to something that's actually worth considering.

Rumors suggest there may not be another desktop range until 2026, so we only have microcode updates to look forward to in 2025. Hopefully Intel will accompany this with some price adjustments, as the launch prices for the Arrow Lake CPUs are nothing short of incredible. Especially since there are already general price cuts for the Ryzen 9000 CPUs.

2 Strong generational gains through Zen 6

AMD's Zen 5 was a nonburger

Intel wasn't the only one to release a lackluster CPU lineup this year. AMD's Zen 5 processors turned out to be Zen 4 with new names and higher prices. Even after the new 105W BIOS update, there was only 2-3% gains in gaming, so there was no reason for anyone to consider the Ryzen 9000 CPUs. Even for newbies making the switch to AM5, the Ryzen 7 7700 is the perfect entry point that can save you money while you wait for AMD's next big thing.

High double-digit performance gains, better thermal efficiency and reasonable pricing – that's three times what AMD has to aim for.

The next thing (i.e. Zen 6) has to be a huge improvement over Zen 5, not only because it's a new generation, but also because it has to eliminate the bad taste that Zen 5 left in our mouths. High double-digit performance gains, better thermal efficiency and reasonable pricing – that's three times what AMD has to aim for. Intel's debacles may have made AMD complacent, but I really hope it doesn't stay that way in 2025.

1 Inexpensive and energy efficient GPUs

I want a unicorn

Graphics cards are the biggest obstacle for PC gamers who want great performance without blowing a hole in their wallet. And this has been the case for a number of years now and there is no sign of anything changing any time soon. Nvidia will most likely unveil the RTX 5000 series at CES in January, and no one is holding their breath for price cuts.

With AMD officially exiting the high-end market (at least for the upcoming generation) with the RX 8000 series, and Intel no longer even on Nvidia's radar, Team Green is free to charge whatever it wants ( and at the same time provide unusually little VRAM). Additionally, rumors suggest that the RTX 5000 cards will require even more power from your power supply. Some reports even suggest that they require two 16-pin connectors, although this is far less likely.

Nvidia may be trying to capture the high-end market, but this could allow AMD and Intel to capture mid-range and budget market share.

The hope for graphics cards with a decent price-performance ratio without huge power requirements now rests on AMD's shoulders as the company focuses on the mid-range and budget segments. Intel's Battlemage needs to shake things up significantly if it wants to get people's attention. Nvidia may be trying to capture the high-end market, but this could allow AMD and Intel to capture mid-range and budget market share respectively, provided they can deliver compelling offerings.

What is your PC hardware wish list for 2025?

We can all dream, but the PC hardware market will take its course. While graphics cards may remain a luxury in 2025, we could see more attractive CPUs from Intel and AMD. Sooner or later SSD prices will fall, but if it happens next year, many PC manufacturers could finally be able to use this PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot on their motherboards.

We are now seeing many former next-generation standards being adopted not only by manufacturers but also by consumers, such as DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0 SSDs and ATX 3.0 power supplies. When 2025 begins to deliver compelling products to make the most of these technologies, it will be the best thing to happen to the industry in a long time.