The tech industry will kick off 2015 with a bang at the International CES in Las Vegas. We’ll see all sorts of new gadgets at the show, but the old familiar PC will be seeing some changes as well.

As we enter 2015, the PC industry is looking up. Budget-friendly Chromebooks and versatile 2-in-1 devices have helped to revitalize flagging sales, and suffice it to say, PCs are still a big deal, especially as that category grows to include not only desktops and laptops, but also tablets, detachable and convertible hybrids, and other new form factors.

How will these trends continue to develop in the year to come? What new designs and new technologies should we watch for at CES? We may not have details yet on what announcements will be made for laptops and desktops, but the march of innovation moves forward, and we know enough to make some good guesses. Let’s start by looking at laptops and Windows tablets.

Components, Components, Components
Big-name OEMs may offer some great products, but they’re limited in their designs by the components within. New internal bits and pieces mean new capabilities and features for PCs on the whole, and we can make some educated guesses about what CES will bring.

First and foremost, Intel’s new Broadwell processors are coming soon, offering slightly better processing capability but with significant improvements in graphics processing and battery life. This will mean more powerful laptops, but more importantly, even longer battery life. We could see mainstream laptops and hybrid designs offering 12 hours or longer between charges, finally allowing you to take your laptop to work without worrying about leaving the charger at home.

For thinner ultraportables, we’ve already seen Intel’s Core M processor in a few new models, like the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, but CES should be bringing a slew of Core M-equipped systems. The Core M chip doesn’t have the same cooling needs as a full-fledged Core i3 or i5 processor, allowing for thinner, fanless designs. It’s a giant step up from the Atom and Celeron processors currently used in tablets and hybrids, but it also means a bump up in price. 

Aside from processors, we’ve also begun to see PCI-connected storage. This is a big development for two reasons: First, PCI offers faster data transfer than the traditional SATA connection, so you can squeeze even more performance gains out of a speedy solid-state drive (SSD). Second, the connector is physically smaller, allowing manufacturers to shave another fraction of an inch off of their designs.

So what will these component changes mean for product announcements at CES? Tablets are inching closer to laptops in capability, while laptops are offering more horsepower, and everything is slimming down and lasting longer.

3K and 4K
Full HD is the new standard for most laptops, so expect to see more systems announced that offer 3K and 4K UltraHD resolutions. We’ve already seen a few of these better-than-HD systems this year, but they’ve been premium offerings aimed at cinephiles and graphics professionals. As 4K media becomes more accessible, thanks to Netflix and Amazon, the demand will grow. Expect to see more UltraHD systems announced at CES, but they will still be pricey.

Form Factors and Lifestyles
Last year, all anyone could talk about was the 2-in-1, a hybrid of laptop and tablet, with companies vying to outdo each other with announcements of 3-, 4-, and 5-in1 devices. The frenzy may have died down, but these hybrid devices are still a big deal. Expect to see a few new products blending laptop and tablet, as well as refreshed versions of what’s already on the market.

You’ll also begin to see a lot of systems marketed as lifestyle devices. Small 7- and 8-inch tablets will push mobility, while thin and light hybrids continue to take center stage on laptop shelves. But now that PCs are so easy to take with you, there’s a focus on making the experience more natural and intuitive. Expect to see a lot of features like voice controls, webcam-enabled gesture controls, and circumstance-specific usage modes—like watching a movie or reading an ebook—that adjust to each use automatically.

We may also see a couple of laptops and tablets announced that incorporate Intel’s RealSense technology, an evolution of the webcam that can sense depth and dimension, allowing neat tricks like 3D scanning of objects, gesture controls in mid-air, and more. The biggest example of this we’ve seen thus far is the HP Sprout, where RealSense was just one of the many technologies blended into the new device. But the same sort of camera will likely start showing up in all sorts of laptops and tablets in early 2015.

Chrome vs. Windows
Chromebooks were dismissed by many when they first launched, but have now taken over the budget category with low prices and an ever-improving feature set. The inexpensive Chrome laptops have gobbled up a significant chunk of the education market, and the sub-$400 price range is filled with Chrome-powered devices from every major manufacturer—Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba are all in the Chromebook space now. Expect to see new Chromebooks with expanded feature sets, like touch screens, full HD displays, and better processors.

But Microsoft isn’t taking this sitting down. In an effort to reclaim the budget laptop space, Microsoft has released a special version of Windows, called Windows 8.1 with Bing. Functionally, it’s the same Windows 8.1 you’ll find on more expensive systems, but it’s given to manufacturers for free with two stipulations: First, it has to be used only on a certain class of devices, namely extremely low-priced laptops and tablets. Second, manufacturers may not pre-install another browser or any browser-based services on the laptop. It’s vague language with a specific goal—putting Windows systems into people’s hands without the temptation of Google’s Chrome browser, Google Drive, and Google Docs. End users can still install all of these tools themselves, but Microsoft is betting that a lot of shoppers will be happy with whatever they get. Microsoft is also throwing in free cloud storage and subscriptions to Office 365 as a bid to compete with the free Google Drive and Google Docs.

What does this mean for new systems? Well we’ve already seen the likes of the HP Stream 13 and HP Stream 11, two perfect examples of this new approach. The inexpensive construction is dressed up with a sophisticated-looking design, and the price is just right to compete with Chromebooks. Don’t be surprised to see similar offerings announced by other companies.

Desktops
But laptops and tablets won’t be having all the fun. Several of the above developments are coming to all PCs, like improved 4K support across the board and faster PCI-connected storage. But it doesn’t stop there.

Time to Upgrade or Replace That Old System
Desktop PC prices have never been lower; $300-500 will buy you a very good basic PC these days, even an all-in-one with a built-in screen. The combination of lower priced processors and no cost (for the manufacturers) operating systems have helped swing purchase prices to budget levels. And don’t think that a bargain basement desktop is a shambling mound, either: just about any new PC is likely to be faster than that old 6- to 9-year-old PC you’re still using to check your email or surf video-streaming sites. We’re looking forward to seeing Chrome OS and Windows PCs in the $200 price range in the coming months.

Steam OS: Still Vapor
Steam Machines made a big splash at CES 2014, but aside from a few Windows-based hardware launches that were supposed to be Steam Machines, not much has happened. Steam OS and Steam Machines are a great concept: buy an inexpensive Linux-based PC to play games from the Steam online store on your HDTV. However, so far the OS and official Steam Machines are technically still unreleased concepts. Look for midrange and entry-level Windows gaming rigs to take up the slack. Thankfully for fans of the concept, Steam OS is supposed to be downloadable and installable for free, whenever it comes out.

Lots More Mini PCs and Compact All-in-Ones
While the traditional tower desktop isn’t going to go away entirely, the reason to buy one is rapidly becoming irrelevant for the basic PC user. It used to be you needed the internal expansion space for additional hard drive(s), system memory, and expansion cards like Wi-Fi or other networking. Mini PCs and compact all-in-one desktops are coming out with full SoC (system on chip) processors that integrate 802.11ac Wi-Fi, graphics, and many of the other chips that used to take up so much space on a motherboard. And you won’t have to worry about learning new model lines: these SoC processors have familiar names (Intel Core i3, i5, i7, Pentium, Celeron, and AMD A4, A6, etc.) so you’ll know how much computer you’re buying and how much performance to expect.

Our team of analysts and writers will be in the aisles at the largest trade show on the face of the planet, so make sure to check back at PCMag.com for updates for the tech-filled week of Jan. 5-9.

Be sure to check out our CES previews for:

• Activity Trackers and Wearables
• HDTVs
• Digital Cameras
• Tablets
• Cell Phones