AMD's market share tiptoes higher, Intel still ruler of the roost

Intel may still be king of the microprocessing hill, but from the looks of IDC's latest market report, scrappy underdog AMD is starting to claim more of the $9.5 billion dollar pie. The semiconductor stalwarts faced off in four separate market categories with runner-up AMD seeing gains in all, save for servers where its paltry 5.5 percent share dropped 0.6 percent versus Intel's commanding 94.5 percent lead. The Q2 2011 report pegged Intel's overall worldwide share at 79.3 percent, a 1.5 percent decrease from the previous quarter, while AMD saw a 1.5 percent increase to 20.4 percent. For the mobile PC realm, Intel once again saw a decline as its 84.4 percent share took a 1.9 percent quarter to quarter tumble, with AMD again seeing a nearly 2 percent gain in its 15.2 percent stake. In the desktop PC segment, AMD grabbed an additional 1.5 percent, bringing its stake to 28.9 percent, with Intel's 70.9 percent share dropping 1.5 percent versus Q1 2011. Wondering where the second place chip maker got its second quarter stride? According to the research firm, its new Fusion platform, along with Intel's Sandy Bridge, now accounts for "more than 60% of total PC processor unit volume in 2Q11." You paying attention, Sandy? It's time to sleep with one eye open.

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IDC Finds Second Quarter Worldwide PC Microprocessor Unit Shipments Down Slightly Compared to First Quarter, About Flat Compared to Second Quarter of 2010

02 Aug 2011

PC microprocessors with integrated graphics processors account for more than 60% of total PC processor unit volume in 2Q11

SAN MATEO, Calif., August 2, 2011 – Worldwide PC microprocessor unit shipments in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) declined 2.9% compared to 1Q11 and were about flat compared to 2Q10, rising 0.6%, according to the latest PC microprocessor market share study from International Data Corporation (IDC). On a revenue basis, the PC microprocessor market earned $9.49 billion, declining 4.0% compared to 1Q11 and rising 5.4% compared to 2Q10.

"The first quarter of 2011 was better than most first quarters due to the extra calendar week," said Shane Rau, director of Semiconductors: Personal Computing research at IDC. "So the sequential comparison isn't surprising. If we took off that extra week, the performance between the two quarters probably would've seen a seen a slight sequential uptick from 1Q to 2Q."

Both Intel and AMD continue to ramp their new platforms. Intel's Sandy Bridge and AMD's Fusion microprocessors contain integrated graphics processors (IGP). IDC's tracking of these processors indicates that processors with IGP rose to more than 60% of total PC processor unit volume in 2Q11.

2Q11 Vendor Highlights

In 2Q11, Intel earned 79.3% overall worldwide unit market share, a loss of 1.5% compared to 1Q11. In 2Q11, AMD earned 20.4%, a gain of 1.5% compared to 1Q11. VIA Technologies earned 0.3%.

In 2Q11 by form factor, Intel earned 84.4% share in the mobile PC processor segment, a loss of 1.9%, AMD finished with 15.2%, a gain of 1.8%, and VIA earned 0.4%. In the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with 94.5% market share, a gain of 0.6%, and AMD earned 5.5%, a loss of 0.6%. In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 70.9%, a loss of 1.5%, and AMD earned 28.9%, a gain of 1.5%.

2011 and Long-Term Market Outlook

Due to economic headwinds in developed regions that are affecting consumer PC demand, IDC has reduced its forecast for year-over-year growth in PC (mobile, desktop, x86 server) microprocessor unit shipments in 2011 from 10.3% to 9.3%.

The IDC report, Worldwide PC Microprocessor 2Q11 Vendor Shares (IDC #229636), provides worldwide market share results for PC microprocessor vendors on an overall unit and revenue basis, as well as by form factor (desktop, mobile, and x86 server).