AMD claws back ground against Intel in the CPU market, climbs to 35% share in desktop CPUs

AMD picked up more desktop CPU market share in Q2 2026, according to new data from Mercury Research. The firm's numbers put AMD at 34.9% of desktop x86 CPU unit share, up 1.8 percentage points from the previous quarter, even as the overall desktop market shrank.

The gain came despite a rough quarter for desktop CPUs industry-wide. Total desktop shipments fell more than 20% year over year, with Mercury Research pointing to higher PC prices, tight GPU supply, and normal seasonal weakness as the main causes. AMD's desktop shipments dropped too, but by less than Intel's, which is how the company still came out ahead on share.

4

The bigger picture looks strong for AMD across the board. Combined desktop and mobile client share crossed 30% for the first time in the company's history, landing at 30.3% against Intel's 69.7%. Total x86 share, which folds in IoT and embedded chips, hit 34.1%, up from 32.6% the prior quarter. AMD's server CPU share also climbed to 34.5%, with Mercury Research noting that a Xeon-vs-EPYC comparison would put AMD closer to 46%.

Intel isn't just sitting around either. The company grew both client and data center shipments this quarter, and its AI PC revenue reportedly jumped 26% sequentially to make up most of its client mix. Intel's Xeon 6 lineup is also ramping quickly, and leaked benchmarks of its upcoming Core Ultra 9 4950K, built on the Nova Lake architecture, point to solid generational gains once it ships.

4

Intel still ships the majority of x86 CPUs across desktop, mobile, and server segments, so its overall lead isn't going anywhere soon. What's seemingly changed is the pace with which AMD is climbing. AMD has now posted share gains in a market that has shrunk sharply, suggesting its Ryzen and EPYC lineups are holding up even as PC buyers pull back on spending.

4

Frequently Asked Questions

TweakBot answers common questions about this news using TweakTown's own coverage from this page and related content from our archive. All answers are generated from TweakTown content and not outside sources. Tap a question to reveal the answer, or type your own below related to this content.

Question #1

How much desktop x86 CPU market share did AMD achieve in Q2 2026 according to Mercury Research?

Click to reveal answer

Question #2

By how many percentage points did AMD’s desktop share increase from the previous quarter?

Click to reveal answer

Question #3

What were the main factors Mercury Research cited for the overall desktop market decline of more than 20% year over year?

Click to reveal answer

Question #4

How did AMD’s desktop shipment decline compare to Intel’s in Q2 2026?

Click to reveal answer

Have a question about this content not listed here? Ask below and TweakBot will answer it.

Your questionAsk

Answering your question×

TweakBot is analyzing your question…

Could not get an answer

TweakBot is generating an answer

Read More

Was TweakBot helpful?Thanks for the feedback!

Whether that trend continues into the next few quarters will depend heavily on component pricing and how quickly Nova Lake reaches shelves.