Enroll in Windows 10's free security extension and you have until October 2027 — so don't panic-buy at shortage prices. Can your PC move to Windows 11? And five replacements I'd actually set up.
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⚠ Deadline updateThe Windows 10 deadline moved — you have another year. Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, and the paid-or-free Extended Security Updates program for home PCs was supposed to wrap up this month. In June 2026 Microsoft quietly extended it: consumer ESU now runs through October 12, 2027, and if you already enrolled, you're covered automatically. If you haven't, it's still open: free if you sign in with a Microsoft account and sync your settings with Windows Backup, or 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or a one-time $30 — one enrollment covers up to 10 PCs. You'll find it under Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update, and the PC needs to be on Windows 10 version 22H2. Every price below is marked * — an October-2026 snapshot in the middle of a memory shortage, so verify before you buy.
If your Windows 10 PC isn't enrolled, do that first and shop second — it has had no security patches since October 2025 until you do. Once it's covered, that extra year changes the advice. Memory prices are still climbing — Micron's CEO now says demand will outstrip supply through 2027 and 2028, and PC prices have followed — so the worst thing you can do is rush out and buy whatever's on the shelf this month. Use the time to make a decision you won't regret: first find out whether your current PC can simply move to Windows 11, then decide whether fixing it up beats replacing it.
If it does need replacing, the five picks below are the machines I'd actually set up for a customer leaving Windows 10: two laptops, two desktops, and an honest look at leaving Windows altogether. My one non-negotiable for a new Windows 11 PC is 16GB of memory — Windows 11 on 8GB is one of the most common "my new computer is already slow" complaint, and reviewers testing 2026's 8GB laptops keep finding the same thing. Ratings run a deliberately honest 3.5 to 4.5.
Section A · Before you buy anything
Step one: can the PC you already own run Windows 11?
Microsoft's free PC Health Check app answers this in about a minute — search for it on Microsoft's site, install it, and click Check now. Behind that check are Windows 11's minimum requirements: a supported 64-bit processor with two or more cores, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability, and TPM 2.0 — a small security chip (or chip feature) that stores encryption keys.
The processor list is the one that rules most machines out. As a rough guide, Microsoft's supported list starts at Intel's 8th-generation Core processors (around 2017–2018) and AMD's Ryzen 2000 series — there are exceptions in both directions, so let PC Health Check make the call rather than guessing from the sticker.
Two things worth knowing before you accept a "no." First, a failed check is sometimes a setting, not the hardware: Microsoft notes that most retail motherboards — the kind in home-built desktops — ship with TPM turned off even though it's almost always available, under names like "Intel PTT," "AMD fTPM," or "Security Device." Second, if the PC already passes, upgrading to Windows 11 is free. It's well worth having someone check the firmware before you shop.
⚠ Field noteAbout the "unsupported hardware" workarounds. Yes, there are ways to force Windows 11 onto a PC that fails the check, and you'll find plenty of videos about them. I don't recommend them for a household's main computer. Microsoft's own position is that an unsupported PC isn't entitled to updates — security updates included — that a watermark appears on the desktop saying the PC doesn't meet requirements, and that damage from compatibility problems isn't covered by the manufacturer's warranty. A machine that could lose its security updates on any future patch Tuesday isn't a fix; it's a deferral. For an older PC that can't make the jump, ESU through October 2027 is the safer bridge — and a reasonable plan is to keep it as a secondary machine while something supported does the banking and email.
Section B · Upgrade or replace?
When an SSD and memory refresh beats buying new — and when it doesn't.
Most of the "it's gotten so slow" Windows 10 machines I see aren't worn out — they're still running on an old spinning hard drive, or they're starved for memory. If your PC passes PC Health Check (or fails only on a setting), a solid-state drive plus enough memory, followed by the free move to Windows 11, can make it feel new again. That's the right call when:
It's a desktop, or a laptop with real memory and drive slots (many thin laptops have the memory soldered in).
It already has 16GB — or only needs the SSD, not both.
The rest of it is sound: no failing screen, worn-out battery, or flaky power jack.
Here's where the 2026 shortage bites. At today's prices a 1TB NVMe drive runs about $190 (Issue 03), a single 16GB DDR5 laptop stick has been going for close to $200, and a 32GB desktop kit about $249 (Issue 10) — call it roughly $400–$450 in parts for both upgrades, before any labor. That's within shouting distance of the $499–$599 mini PC in Pick 03, which comes with a warranty and is supported until Microsoft says otherwise. So my rule is simple: if the PC fails the processor check, don't put shortage-priced parts into it. If it passes and only needs one of the two upgrades, the refresh usually wins. If it needs both, compare the total against a new machine before you spend anything. Our SSD and memory upgrade service and slow-computer tune-up start with exactly that conversation — and the diagnosis is free.
Section C · If it's time to replace — laptops
Two laptops worth the money: one that stays home, one that travels.
Budget laptops are getting scarce in 2026 — makers are raising prices, cutting memory, or both. Both picks here clear the 16GB bar. The first is the most laptop for the least money; the second costs more and pays you back in battery life and weight.
Most cheap Windows laptops are cheap in exactly the wrong place: they ship with 8GB of memory and a slow processor, and Windows 11 feels sluggish on them from day one. This Aspire 16 configuration is the exception. It pairs an Intel Core 5 115U with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD — the combination I'd want in any Windows 11 machine I hand back to a customer — on a roomy 16-inch, 1920×1200 matte screen with a backlit keyboard and number pad. Wirecutter names it their top cheap Windows laptop for the same reason: the extra memory is what keeps it usable for years, not months.
The honest trade-offs: at 3.65 pounds it's a stay-at-home laptop, not a carry-everywhere one, and it lasted just under 8 hours in Wirecutter's battery test — short of a full workday. It also arrives loaded with the usual trial software that should come off before you use it. Think of it as the replacement for the old laptop that lived on the kitchen table, and it fits that job well.
⚠ Field noteBuy the model number, not the name. "Acer Aspire 16" covers a whole family — including Snapdragon and Core Ultra versions at very different prices. The one I'm recommending is A16-71M-593C (Core 5 115U, 16GB, 512GB). Wirecutter reports it blips in and out of stock and Acer expects it to stay available only until about October or November, so if it's gone, hold out for the same recipe: a current Core 5 or Ryzen 5, 16GB, and 512GB.
If the new computer is going to travel — to the couch, to work, to the grandkids' house — this is the one I'd look at first. PCMag rates the OmniBook 5 14 its best Windows laptop for most people, and the headline is battery life: their test unit (a Snapdragon X Plus configuration) ran more than 34 hours on a charge. Add a sharp, colorful 14-inch OLED screen and a thin, light chassis, and it's a genuinely pleasant machine to live with. The knocks are minor — the plastic keyboard deck flexes a little, and graphics performance is nothing special.
HP sells a confusing pile of OmniBook 5 versions, from about $700 on sale up past $1,200, with Intel, AMD, and Snapdragon chips. Look for the Snapdragon "Next Gen AI PC" model with 16GB of memory and at least 512GB of storage — the 256GB base model fills up fast once you move years of photos over from the old PC. The memory is soldered to the board, so buy the amount you'll need for the life of the laptop.
⚠ Field noteSnapdragon means Arm — check your old gadgets first. This laptop doesn't use an Intel or AMD chip. Windows 11 on Arm runs most ordinary programs, including older ones, through built-in translation — but Microsoft is clear that hardware drivers must be built specifically for Arm. In practice that means an old scanner, a label maker, a specialty USB device, or an older piece of desktop software may not make the trip. If you depend on anything like that, either confirm it's supported first or choose an Intel/AMD laptop. Not sure? That's exactly what a free diagnosis is for.
If the old PC is a desktop, you've probably got a monitor, keyboard, and mouse that work fine. That makes a mini PC the obvious value play. If the setup is shared by the whole family and you'd rather it be one tidy unit, an all-in-one costs more but removes the clutter.
Pick 03 · The small desktop that replaces the tower
Geekom A6 Mini PC (Ryzen 7 6800H, 16GB, 512GB)
4.5 / 5·DX·11C
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 7 6800H
Memory16GB DDR5 (upgradeable)
Storage512GB NVMe
Windows11 Pro included
Warranty3 years
Typical price~$499–$599*
Most Windows 10 machines I see are desktops — a tower under the desk with a perfectly good monitor, keyboard, and mouse on top of it. For those, this is my favorite answer. The Geekom A6 is a box about the size of a hardcover book that bolts to the back of the monitor (a VESA mount is included), and it's quicker than its price suggests: PCMag calls it one of the fastest budget mini PCs and gave it an Editors' Choice. You get two HDMI ports for two monitors, USB4, 2.5-gigabit Ethernet, an SD card reader, Windows 11 Pro already installed, and a three-year warranty.
Here's the part that matters in 2026: Geekom lists the 16GB/512GB model at $599, and has run it at $499 with a promo code. That's roughly what a 32GB RAM kit and a 1TB SSD cost right now to refresh an old tower — except this gets you a new, supported computer. Unlike most laptops, the memory is a standard removable module and there's a second storage slot, so you can grow it later when prices settle.
⚠ Field notePlan to keep your monitor — and listen for the fan. A mini PC is just the computer. If your old tower's monitor, keyboard, and mouse work, you're set; if not, budget for them. Two honest drawbacks from the reviews: the Ryzen 7 6800H is a 2022-era chip (still fully Windows 11 supported, still plenty fast for everyday work), and the fan runs loud under sustained heavy load like video exports. For email, browsing, photos, and office work, it stays out of the way. One shopping note: Geekom also lists a version with the plain Ryzen 7 6800 (no H) — check which chip you're paying for.
For the household where the computer sits on a desk in the den and everyone shares it, an all-in-one is the tidiest answer: one power cord, nothing under the desk, and nothing to match up. PCMag calls the 2026 Dell 24 the everyday all-in-one most families should consider first, and the parts list backs that up — a current Intel Core Ultra 5, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 23.8-inch touch screen, Wi-Fi 7, surprisingly good speakers and webcam, and a wireless keyboard and mouse included. Unusually for an all-in-one, the two memory slots and the storage slot are upgradeable.
My hesitation is value. At about $1,300 at Dell and $1,330 at Best Buy, you're paying a lot for the convenience of everything-in-one — the Geekom above plus a decent monitor does the same work for well under that. The screen only tilts (no height adjustment or swivel), the 24-inch model is 1080p only, and most ports sit behind the screen where you'll be reaching around to plug in a thumb drive. If convenience is worth that to your household, it's a well-built machine; just know what you're paying for.
Windows 10's end of support is a natural moment to ask the question. If you rely on Windows-only software — accounting programs, specialty business tools, older games — stay on Windows and pick from above. But if your computer is really a window onto the web, email, and family photos, a Mac or a Chromebook is worth a serious look.
Pick 05 · The honest alternative (if you're open to leaving Windows)
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB, 256GB)
3.5 / 5·DX·11E
ChipApple A18 Pro
Memory8GB (fixed)
Storage256GB / 512GB
Screen13″ 2408×1506
Weight2.7 lb
Typical price~$690–$699*
Here's the option most Windows guides won't mention: if what you actually do on the computer is email, browsing, photos, and video calls with family, you don't have to stay on Windows at all. Apple's MacBook Neo is PCMag's top budget laptop and Wirecutter's step-up pick, and it's easy to see why — a bright, sharp screen, a rigid aluminum body, all-day battery, and the ability to walk into an Apple Store when something goes wrong. If you already carry an iPhone, your messages, photos, and notes simply show up on it.
Now the parts I won't paper over. It has 8GB of memory, soldered, with no option for more — yes, that contradicts my 16GB advice for Windows. Reviewers find macOS feels snappier on 8GB than Windows does, but Wirecutter warns it lags with heavy multitasking and that it may slow down after two or three years of software updates. It has no keyboard backlight, one of its two USB-C ports runs at old USB 2 speed, and the price rose from $599 to $699 in June because of the memory shortage. And switching platforms is a real learning curve: your Windows programs won't come with you, though your files will.
⚠ Field noteOnly browse, email, and stream? A Chromebook is cheaper still. If everything you do happens in a web browser, a Chromebook Plus is the budget version of this same idea — Wirecutter's top pick, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, was listed around $349 — with no bloatware and nothing to maintain. The catch is the same as the Mac, only stronger: no Windows programs at all. Make that call before you buy, not after.
The new computer is the easy part. Moving your life onto it isn't.
Whatever you buy, the part that goes wrong is the move. A few things I check on every new-PC setup before the old machine is wiped or recycled:
Everything, not just Documents. Photos, desktop files, browser bookmarks and saved passwords, and email stored on the computer itself (older Outlook setups keep mail in a local data file that doesn't live in the cloud).
Program installers and license keys. Older paid software — tax, accounting, photo editing — often needs its original key or a download from your account to reinstall.
Two-factor authentication. If a code-generator app or security key is tied to the old machine, move it before you lose access to it.
A backup that exists before anything is deleted. Keep the old drive untouched until you've confirmed the new PC has everything. If you don't have a backup routine yet, Issue 07 on cloud backup covers the options.
Wipe the old drive properly before it's donated or recycled — a quick reset may not fully erase your data.
And if the old PC won't start at all, don't assume the files are gone — that's a data recovery question, and usually a solvable one.
DX·11 — Issue 11 — Replacing a Windows 10 PC — Computer Medic Repair & Service LLC, Clearwater FL — Published October 2026