AMD crossed a new threshold in the x86 processor market in the first quarter of 2025. According to data published by Mercury Research, the founder captured 32.6% of the overall market share, a level never before reached in its history.
Intel retains the majority with 67.4% of the market, but this figure is down compared to 68.6% in the previous quarter and 72.9% recorded in the same quarter a year earlier. The underlying trend has favored AMD for several consecutive quarters.
A year of continued gains driven by Intel’s constraints
AMD’s annual growth is particularly significant. A year ago, the manufacturer held just over a quarter of the x86 market. Today, it is approaching a third. This jump is partly explained by the supply difficulties encountered by Intel, which had a direct impact on its delivery volumes.
Mercury Research indicates that AMD saw its shipments increase by almost 17% year-on-year, while Intel recorded a decline of more than 10%. This difference in dynamics alone explains most of the 5.6 points of market share gained by AMD over the period.
Excluding semi-custom embedded chips and IoT components, AMD stands at 30% of the market, compared to 24.4% a year earlier. The progression remains solid even without the positive effect of SoCs for consoles, a segment in which AMD occupies a dominant position.
The server, the most strategic area of gain
The server processor segment is where AMD is making the most significant progress. Its market share excluding IoT reached 33.2%, compared to 30% in the previous quarter and 27.2% a year earlier. Demand linked to artificial intelligence in data centers supports this dynamic.
According to Mercury Research, AMD’s server volumes grew strongly, both compared to the previous quarter and year-over-year. Intel’s deliveries remained relatively stable in both comparisons. Both vendors report positive outlooks for server CPUs in 2026.
Client and mobile: Intel holds up better on the desktop
In the desktop processor market, Intel regained ground in the first quarter, with 66.8% share compared to 63.6% the previous quarter. This is a positive signal for the Santa Clara firm, even if this figure remains lower than the 72% posted a year earlier.
In mobility, Intel maintains a clearer advantage with 71.7% of the market compared to 28.3% for AMD. Here too, the annual trend shows a gradual erosion: Intel held 77.5% a year ago, compared to 22.5% for AMD.
The rest: Intel bets on node 18A
Intel is not without resources to reverse the trend. The founder is making progress on its 18A manufacturing node, considered the most advanced on its roadmap. The launch of the Xeon 6+ Clearwater Forest has just been announced this week, which could stabilize its positions in the server segment.
The arrival of Nvidia in the PC space with its RTX Spark platform is also a variable to watch. This new entrant could redistribute the dynamics of the customer market, regardless of the direct rivalry between AMD and Intel.
Source : HotHardware
