Windows 10 End of Support: How to Protect Your PC and When to Replace It

Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10. While your machine will keep running, security updates and feature fixes are no longer guaranteed — but there is a free method to obtain Extended Security Updates (ESU) that extends official patches until mid-October 2026.

If your PC is showing its age (slow performance, noisy fans, poor battery life), now is a good time to consider a replacement. Even if your device meets minimum requirements for a free Windows 11 upgrade, newer Copilot+ AI features (like Windows Recall and Studio Effects) may require hardware released within roughly the last year.

Quick replacement picks

• Surface Laptop 13.8″ — Lightweight, long battery life, Snapdragon-powered options for exceptional mobility. (Surface product page)
• Dell 14 Premium (XPS 14) — Premium build and one of the best displays in its class. (Dell)
• ASUS ZenBook S14 — Strong battery life, powerful internals, and an OLED display option. (ASUS)
• Apple MacBook Air (M-series) — Consider if you want top battery life and performance; macOS offers solid cross-device features if you use an iPhone. (Apple)

Desktop options

• Dell Slim Desktop — Compact, affordable, and capable for everyday tasks. (Dell)
• Apple Mac mini — Powerful mini-desktop with strong performance-per-dollar on M-series chips. (Mac mini)
• Geekom A6 Mini — Budget-friendly Windows mini-PC with Ryzen options for good productivity performance.

FAQ highlights

• Do I need to upgrade? You can keep using a Windows 10 PC, but relying on it long-term without security updates is risky. The free ESU option buys time until mid‑Oct 2026, but plan a replacement for security and reliability.
• Can Macs run Windows apps? Yes, via virtualization (Parallels, VMware) or by checking if macOS versions exist; virtualization often requires a Windows license and disk space.
• Are Chromebooks or iPads substitutes? They work for web-first tasks but generally don’t replace a full Windows PC for broad desktop software compatibility.
• What about gaming? For modern games, aim for 32GB RAM and an NVIDIA RTX 40-series or AMD Radeon RX 9000-series GPU, and modern CPUs (Intel 13th gen or AMD Ryzen 8000-series).

For more details and the step-by-step explainer on extending support for a year, see the original explainer here: Engadget — replacement guide & ESU explainer and Microsoft’s lifecycle information: Microsoft Lifecycle.

Updated: The Windows 10 end-of-support date has passed; the free ESU path extends security updates to mid-October 2026, but it’s temporary.

Discussion: Will you extend support and keep your current PC, or start shopping for a replacement? What matters most to you in a new machine?