AMD Captures a Third of x86 Market Amid 20% Drop in PC Segment

In the first quarter of 2026, the processor market faced a decline in consumer CPU shipments, yet AMD continued to chip away at Intel's market share. 

According to Mercury Research, the overall market for PC, laptop, and console chips dipped by 6%, while the desktop processor segment plunged by nearly 20% due to overstocking at warehouses. In contrast, the server sector showed a 10% growth.

Record Achievements for AMD and Shortages at Intel

AMD's total share in the x86 processor market surged to a record 32.6% (up from 27.1% a year earlier), while Intel's share dropped to 67.4%. In different segments, the figures vary: 

• Servers: AMD strengthened its position to 33.2% (a 6% annual increase). Intel's shipments in this lucrative segment stagnated.
• Laptops: Due to its heavy focus on servers, Intel faced capacity constraints for mobile chips. AMD capitalized on this, boosting its laptop market share from 22.5% to 28.3%.
• Desktop PCs: Annually, AMD grew to 33.2%, though it slightly lost ground to Intel quarterly due to a temporary demand slump at the beginning of the year.

The Expansion of ARM Architecture

While the x86 giants fight each other, processors based on the ARM architecture continue to dominate. In consumer devices (MacBooks, Chromebooks), their share rose to 14.4%. In the server segment, ARM's presence grew to 13.2%; sales of chips using this architecture doubled, largely driven by massive shipments of Nvidia Grace Blackwell systems for AI.

Analysts warn that in the second half of 2026, supply shortages could shift toward a drop in demand caused by high component prices.