Intel takes unexpected bite out of AMD's desktop CPU market share - PC Gamer
Intel has unexpectedly gained desktop CPU market share in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data from Mercury Research.
The latest figures from market researchers Mercury Research reveal a significant shift in the desktop processor market. Intel's share of the desktop CPU market rose by 5.1% in the third quarter of 2026, while AMD's fell to 29.9% from 35%.
This reversal is notable because AMD has long dominated the sector with its high-performance chips. The company's 'red team' has been the leader in both performance and popularity for many years.
Mercury Research notes that the jump in Intel's share is unusually large. The firm suggests it could be a result of rounding errors or other data anomalies, though it has been reliable in the past.
Supply and demand factors
The market research firm has offered two main theories to explain the turnaround. One is that Intel increased its allocation of desktop products due to lower demand for mobile CPUs.
The third quarter is typically a time of strong demand for desktop systems, but Intel had been under-supplying the market earlier in the year. AMD, on the other hand, did not see a seasonal increase in sales.
We believe another component to Intel's gains here is AMD's greater exposure to the PC gaming market, which has suffered due to supply constraints of gaming GPUs.
Gaming market slump
The high cost of gaming hardware is a major factor in the market's slowdown. Prices for graphics cards, RAM, and storage have become so high that they have discouraged many consumers from building new PCs.
This has hurt AMD particularly hard, as the company is heavily exposed to the gaming segment. Despite this, the company has admitted to a supply deficit that it is working to address.
The overall consumer market is shrinking. Both Intel and AMD have seen more than a 10% drop in shipments for mobile chips in the third quarter.
Outlook for the industry
The gains in market share do not necessarily signal a healthy recovery for the industry. Desktop CPU volumes had already seen a 'large drop' in the second quarter of 2026.
Both companies are now competing for a smaller pool of customers. Intel has seen its share price drop recently due to weak sales expectations, while AMD is set to beat Intel for total revenue by the end of the year.
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