17.4.2024 | Platform ITscope Marktbarometer Q1/2024

From AI technologies to the latest networking standards, a wide range of developments are shaping the corporate landscape. The ITscope Market Barometer Q1/2024 sheds light on the prevailing trends within the IT industry in great detail. Oliver Gorges, Director of Marketing & Sales at ITscope, emphasizes, "Our current Market Barometer edition highlights the dynamic evolution in the IT market and how new technologies continuously enrich business life."

ITscope Market barometer Q1/2024 as a PDF

The ITscope market barometer is based on ITscope GmbH’s own analysis.

Graphics cards: Price surges and AI innovations

For graphic cards an intriguing trend is emerging: while the click numbers on the top 100 graphics cards remain stable on ITscope, prices are experiencing a significant increase. This trend can partly be attributed to Nvidia's strategic focus on the lucrative market for AI chips, indirectly leading to a shortage in graphics card production. The emphasis on AI technologies, coupled with the steady demand for high-performance graphics cards, is driving prices up. Oliver Gorges succinctly summarizes the situation: "The rapid advancements in AI technology are fueling a growing demand, inevitably resulting in price hikes, with Nvidia reaping the benefits of this trend."

PC systems and notebooks: Upgradability in the spotlight

With the return-to-office trend and the continued interest in AI applications, PC systems are once again taking center stage. "The return to office and the launch of Windows 11 are two incentives for companies to refocus on cost-effective and upgradable complete systems," explains Benjamin Mund, CEO of ITscope. Notebooks are also shining brightly in the ITscope analysis this spring. Lenovo leads the pack, with HP and Dell also remaining relevant players in the market.

Is WiFi 7 sparking a revolution?

With the introduction of WiFi 7, Access Points are setting new standards in wireless communication technology: the high data transfer rates enable speeds that can even surpass wired connections. The Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro is among the first products on the market to support this new standard and has garnered numerous clicks from ITscope users. "This development not only showcases the current state of technology but also indicates the direction in which the IT world is heading," notes sales expert Gorges. "Everything is becoming smarter and more interconnected, with technological innovations playing a key role in this transformation."

Topics in this Market barometer

Highflyer: Groundbreaking technology innovations  
Graphics cards: AI boom keeps Nvidia cashing in
PC systems: The return of the office computer?
Notebooks: Rising clicks and strong momentum
Access points: New standards raise the bar
Mobiltelefone: Samsung setzt mit KI-Funktionen zum Sprung an
Tablets: Everyone is waiting for Apple's new iPads
Drucker: Stagnation im Schatten der Digitalisierung

Highflyer: Groundbreaking technology innovations  

What are the ITscope Highflyers?

The ITscope Highflyers present the most striking new products in the first quarter of 2024. This selection provides an insight into which innovations and technological developments are currently generating the most interest. Based on the number of clicks within the ITscope platform, we draw a picture of which products that have been listed on ITscope within the last six months stand out in their respective categories. From the most recently listed items, we select those with the most clicks per category and rank them from 1 to 15. This methodology provides a clear view of current demand and reflects market preferences without resorting to superlatives. It is a direct insight into the dynamics of the IT market, taking into account both the frontrunners and the full range of innovations.

From compact systems to groundbreaking notebooks

At the forefront of interest is the Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen4 12E3, a Tiny PC system, which has been rated 3. 068 clicks and an average retail price (RRP) of €590.29, replacing the popular Gen3 predecessor model. This model is characterized by its compact size, a powerful Core i5 13400T processor, 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD.

The Apple MacBook Pro 14", model MRX33D/A, underlines its position in the high-end notebook segment with its M3 Pro SoC, which also integrates an impressive 14-core GPU. Praised by Golem as an "almost perfect notebook", it collected 1,887 clicks and confirms Apple's supremacy with a MSRP of €1,961.57. The SoC (System on Chip) concept combines several computer components on a single chip, whereby the GPU is integrated directly into the processor and therefore enables high performance efficiency.

WiFi 7 sets new standards

Third place goes to the UbiQuiti U7 Pro access point, the first device from the manufacturer UbiQuiti with WiFi 7 technology, which can achieve an impressive speed of up to 5 Gbit/s. The 1,646 clicks show the growing importance of faster and more efficient network connections in modern IT environments - a reason for us to dedicate a separate category to access points in this market barometer.

Samsung plays the AI trump card

The high-flyer in the tablet category is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ SM-X210NZAAEUB, a device praised by Chip.de as an "affordable everyday tablet" with a MSRP of €185.82. The Samsung Galaxy S24 deserves a special mention as it shows remarkable performance despite earlier skepticism regarding the performance of the Exynos chips. According to a test by Chip.de, the Exynos 2400 chip installed in the Galaxy S24 is slightly behind the Ultra model in terms of performance, but clearly outperforms the previous year's models. Despite initial disappointments in the performance of the Exynos chip line, which fell short of expectations and could not hold its own in direct comparison with competitors such as Apple and Qualcomm, Samsung demonstrates a significant improvement with the S24.

B6 replaces B5 model: Iiyama's new 27-incher

The Iiyama ProLite XUB2792QSU-B6 in 5th place offers solid performance for users who value a high resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) and a good contrast ratio. Although it does not have a USB-C port, it compensates for this with four USB ports. The positive test result from Computer Bild for the B5 model adds to its appeal.

GPUs and CPUs: the stars of performance

Even if Gamestar describes the new "Super" GPUs from Nvidia as boring, this does not detract from their popularity: The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G VENTUS, which comes with a push-pull airflow design and an aluminum housing and has a MSRP of €948.94, is ahead in Q1/2024.

In the processor segment, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D proves that even latecomers with an AM4 platform can offer impressive gaming performance at an attractive price. The CPU is an excellent option, especially for upgrades. Golem highlights the excellent price-performance ratio, although PC Games Hardware tends to advise users to opt for the more powerful Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

Hardware components for professionals

The Be Quiet! Dark Rock PRO 5 lives up to its reputation as the "king of air cooling" and offers outstanding cooling performance for demanding PC systems. According to PC Games Hardware, it impresses with its performance and low noise level - it is the most popular new release in the cooling category at ITscope.

For mid-range storage solutions, the Synology Plus Series HAT3310-12T hard drive, specifically designed for Synology systems, offers a reliable option for home users and small offices.

See the most active 15 new releases on ITscope - our highflyers:

Graphics cards: AI boom keeps Nvidia cashing in

The market for graphics cards is showing lively activities this spring. Prices for graphics cards have risen dramatically over the past year, which is not only due to the AI boom and a generally high demand for high-performance hardware, but also to strategic decisions made by Nvidia, the largest player on the market.

Analysis of the average WSP for the 100 most clicked graphics cards on ITscope since the beginning of 2023.

While the average Wholesale selling price (WSP) for the top 100 most-clicked GPUs on ITscope was still €811.50 in the first quarter of 2023, this value more than doubled to a remarkable €1,912.95 by the first quarter of 2024. This price increase reflects less a direct increase in demand for graphics cards in the AI segment, but rather the result of tighter quotes and higher prices due to Nvidia's focus on the profitable market for AI chips.

Nvidia plays a key role in this, as the company is on the upswing thanks to its supremacy in AI chips and graphics cards. This is underpinned not only by the positive performance of Nvidia shares, but also by reports of antitrust allegations and limited production capacities, which are driving prices even higher. Nvidia's dominance is also evident on ITscope: around 90% of the top 100 graphics cards come from the GPU giant, while AMD is well behind with a share of around 10%. In terms of AI technology, Nvidia graphics chips have a clear advantage, as their CUDA cores can also be used flexibly. Unlike their competitors from AMD and Intel, they are also easier to use for tasks other than graphics display.

The price spiral for Nvidia products is spiralling inexorably upwards, while the price increases for AMD are more moderate in comparison.

The top graphics cards on ITscope

The MSI 24GB D6X RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio leads in the in the first quarter of 2024 and sets the benchmark for high-end graphics performance with 2,139 clicks on ITscope. Equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, a clock rate of 2595/2610 MHz and a memory of 24 GB GDDR6X, MSI shows what top technological performance means - but this also has its price, in this case €1,713.51 WSP. Not far behind is the high-flyer of the quarter, the MSI GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G VENTUS. With a WSP of €974.93, it offers a slightly cheaper but still powerful option for demanding applications.

In 9th and 10th place, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 WINDFORCE V2 24G and the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12G VENTUS testify to the continued popularity and demand for Nvidia's GPU technologies. With a WSP of €557.71, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER offers an attractive option for those looking for good value for money.

The only graphics card with an AMD chip in the top 15 is the PowerColor RX 7900XTX OC, which made it to 15th place in the category with 470 clicks. With a WSP of €865.76, it is comparatively cheap for its performance: the technical data - 24 GB GDDR6, PCIe 4.0, clock rate 2330/2525 MHz - make it a worthy alternative in a field dominated by Nvidia.

PC systems: The return of the office computer?

Market researchers from IDC and Canalys have registered increased sales figures for PC systems worldwide in the first quarter of 2024. We also observed increasing interest in PC systems on ITscope, which is representative of the German B2B market. This trend may have been driven by the increasing number of employees returning to the office ("back to office"), but the AI boom and the growing importance of Windows 11 are also playing a role, as PCs are easier to upgrade with more CPU and GPU power.

The interest in notebooks on ITscope continues to soar.

Lenovo is also making a strong statement in the notebook segment with the ThinkBook 16p G4 ranking 2nd and the ThinkPad E16 Gen taking 3rd place. The most expensive laptop in the top 15, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2, saw a significant decrease in its MSRP from €2,300 to around €2,000 by the end of February. Equipped with a Core i7, 1,000 GB storage, 32 GB RAM, and a 16" display, it stands out as a top-tier model for discerning users.

The WSP for the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 fell significantly in February.

Good news for Microsoft: The Surface Laptop 5 for Business climbs from 17th to 4th place. Here, too, there are strong fluctuations in stock and the average WSP - the notebook with Intel Core i7 is currently only in stock at a few retailers. The situation is similar for the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 (10th place): Demand is higher than supply, which is why the WSP is currently rising.

The stock levels of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 are experiencing a significant decline.

The Apple MacBook Pro, MRX33D/A, remains a remarkably powerful choice with its unusual 18GB of RAM and M3 chip, making it 7th in the ITscope category with 1887 clicks. However, the top performer from the fourth quarter of 2023, the 2020 Apple MacBook Air with M1 processor, has lost interest and slipped to 11th place.

Notebooks: Rising clicks and strong momentum

Notebooks are also enjoying a resurgence in popularity at the start of the year, which is reflected in the number of clicks on ITscope. At the forefront of this movement is the HP ProBook 450 G10, which takes the lead with an impressive 7,911 clicks and an average WSP of €840.73. According to Notebookcheck, this model impresses with its combination of office suitability and GeForce RTX power.

Interest in notebooks on ITscope continues to grow.

Lenovo also performed well in the notebook segment, with the ThinkBook 16p G4 in second place and the ThinkPad E16 Gen in third. The most expensive laptop in the top 15, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2, saw a significant drop in WSP from €2,300 to around €2,000 at the end of February. Its configuration with a Core i7, 1,000 GB storage, 32 GB RAM and a 16" display makes it a top-of-the-range model for demanding users.
 
The WSP for the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 dropped significantly in February.

Good news for Microsoft: The Surface Laptop 5 for Business climbs from 17th to 4th place. Here too, stock levels and the average WSP are highly volatile - the notebook with Intel Core i7 is currently only in stock at a few retailers. The situation is similar for the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 (10th place): Demand is higher than supply, which is why the WSP is currently rising.

The stock of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 is falling sharply.

The Apple MacBook Pro, MRX33D/A, with its unusual 18GB of RAM and M3 chip, is still a remarkably powerful choice, making it 7th in the ITscope category with 1887 clicks. However, the leader from Q4 2023, the 2020 Apple MacBook Air with M1 processor, has lost interest and slipped to 11th place. 

Access points: New standards raise the bar

The introduction of WiFi 7 marks a significant advance in wireless communications, with data rates that theoretically exceed those of wired networks. Theoretically, in that the end devices must also be compatible.

Access points connect wired and wireless networks to ensure a stable Internet connection throughout the enterprise. In addition to the WiFi standard, important selection criteria include supported frequency bands, data rates, MIMO technology for efficient communication and WPA3 for maximum security.

The Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro is one of the first access points to support the new WiFi 7 standard, making it not only a high flyer on ITscope, but also second in the access point category. Despite the advanced technology, the average WSP remains comparatively moderate at €168.12, which is partly due to the accessories included - or not included - in the scope of delivery.
Ubiquiti's move to offer WiFi 7 hardware early on positions the company as a pioneer in a market that is rapidly adapting to new technologies. In fact, ITscope shows a clear dominance of Ubiquiti products in the top 15 most clicked access points.

Topping the list with 2,997 clicks is the Ubiquiti UniFi U6-PRO, a WiFi 6 access point that boasts support for the 6 GHz frequency band - a significant advantage as this band is less congested and allows for higher data rates.

Places 5 through 7 go to the HPE Aruba products, which are designed specifically for enterprise use and offer high compatibility and performance at a reasonable price. Of particular note is the HPE Aruba AP-515 (RW), which offers impressive data rates and Bluetooth connectivity. The WSP here is €445.18.

Mobile phones: Samsung makes leap with AI features 

Interest in mobile phones on ITscope remains strong in the spring of 2024. The new Apple models in particular are attracting clicks. The iPhone 15 Pro Max once again takes the top spot with a record number of 4,555 clicks, followed by other Apple models such as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13. Despite reports of waning interest in the iPhone 15 in other markets, this trend is not confirmed on ITscope for the German-speaking B2B region, which strengthens Apple's position in this segment. The smartphones of the major Apple competitor Huawei hardly arouse any interest on ITscope.

Among other things, Apple products are known for their price stability. This makes it all the more surprising that the fifth-placed iPhone SE (3rd generation) dropped significantly in WSP for a few days in March.

The wholesale price of the Apple iPhone SE dropped briefly in March from €381 to €253.

Samsung's Galaxy series, especially the Galaxy A54 5G, is in high demand, which is reflected in a jump from 25th to 8th place. The Enterprise Edition features a business program that provides additional security features and management tools for enterprises. The introduction of the new A35 and A55 models could further strengthen Samsung's position.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with built-in AI capabilities, now ranked 15th on ITscope, is showing remarkable upward movement in the market, reflecting the growing interest in advanced AI technology. With the One UI 6.1 update in March, other devices also received the new features, but according to GameStar Tech, this led to massive problems for some users, such as unusually fast battery consumption and overheating.

Tablets: Everyone is waiting for Apple's new iPads

Tablet PCs continue to be important devices in the B2B sector, which is clearly reflected in the number of clicks on ITscope: the top 100 tablets alone received more than 60,000 clicks in the first quarter of 2010. At the top of this popularity scale is the Apple iPad Wi-Fi, 10.2" with an impressive 14,262 clicks, making it once again the most clicked product on the platform.

Despite the ongoing popularity of Apple tablets, there has been a noticeable price drop for the 10.9-inch Generation 10 iPads and their Cellular versions for the first time. This trend could be linked to Apple's delayed releases of new iPads. It appears that fans of the brand may need to exercise a bit more patience before getting their hands on the latest innovations.

The price of Apple iPads has remained relatively constant over the years: in March 2024, the 10th generation 10.9 inch iPad WiFi suddenly became around €100 cheaper at WSP.

The top 9 spots in the ITscope category are dominated by models from 2020 to 2022, highlighting the longevity and continued relevance of proven models. In the manufacturer competition, the landscape remains consistent: Apple leads the mid-price segment, while Microsoft secures the niche in the high-price segment with its Surface tablets. On the other hand, Samsung excels in the more affordable models.

A notable addition to the tablet market is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, known as the "Fan Edition," described by Chip.de as a "high-quality yet affordable all-around tablet." While relatively new to the market, it may not stand out compared to its competitors. Another standout in the tablet segment this quarter is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+, positioned as an attractive choice for budget-conscious buyers with a WSP of €185.82.

Printers: Stagnation in the Shadow of Digitalization

In the category of printers and multifunction devices, innovations are rare to come by, with familiar models like the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw continuing to dominate this quarter. The waning interest in these devices may stem from the lack of new features, but more likely, it is a result of the ongoing, cross-industry digitalization. The year 2023 proved to be challenging for printers: since January, there has been a noticeable decline in interest on ITscope compared to the previous year, and this trend persisted with a further drop in the fourth quarter. It's no surprise: According to Bitkom, 82% of companies print less than they did five years ago.

The trend is downward: Printers and multifunction devices are becoming less and less appealing to ITscope users.

Note: Wholesale selling prices (WSP) as at 02/04/2024

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About the ITscope Market barometer

ITscope is one of the leading platforms for IT procurement and sales in the B2B sector. It provides valuable support to system houses, resellers, distributors, and manufacturers in their digitalization efforts. One of the highlights of ITscope is its quarterly publication, the ITscope Market Barometer, which offers intriguing insights into the ever-evolving ICT industry. This includes identifying the most sought-after products among B2B customers and monitoring the fluctuating purchase prices of smartphones, notebooks, and processors. With its comprehensive market analysis, ITscope offers exclusive and valuable insights into the sales trends and market dynamics of the channel.