In the second quarter of 2026, AMD reached a milestone the company has been working toward for years. According to the latest figures from WinFuture, citing Mercury Research, AMD’s market share for x86 client CPUs has exceeded 30 percent for the first time, reaching 30.3 percent. Intel, on the other hand, has fallen below the 70 percent mark for the first time, now standing at 69.7 percent. While this may sound like a minor shift, it is the logical continuation of a trend that has been evident in nearly every quarterly report for over two years.
These figures are also confirmed by the U.S. website HotHardware, both of which draw on the same Mercury Research survey. Across the entire x86 market—client and server combined—AMD stands at 34.1 percent, an increase of 4.7 percentage points compared to the same quarter last year.
In short:
- AMD has achieved a 30.3 percent market share in client CPUs (desktop + notebook), while Intel has dropped to 69.7 percent.
- In the desktop processor segment, AMD’s share grows to 34.9 percent, even as the overall market declines by more than 20 percent.
- In the notebook segment, AMD posted the strongest year-over-year growth: up 8.4 percentage points to 28.9 percent.
- In the server market, AMD reaches 34.5 percent with Epyc, while Intel’s Xeon loses 7.3 percentage points.
| Segment | AMD Q2 2026 | Intel Q2 2026 | Change in AMD (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client (Desktop + Laptop) | 30.3% | 69.7% | Record |
| Desktop | 34.9% | 65.1% | +2.7 points |
| Laptop / Mobile | 28.9% | 71.1% | +8.4 percentage points |
| Servers (x86) | 34.5% | 65.5% | +7.3 percentage points |
| Total x86 market | 34.1% | 65.9% | +4.7 percentage points |
AMD’s Market Share in Desktop CPUs Grows Despite a Shrinking Market
In the desktop segment, AMD’s share has risen to 34.9 percent, an increase of 1.8 percentage points compared to the previous quarter and 2.7 percentage points compared to the second quarter of 2025. Intel continues to hold the majority with 65.1 percent, but is steadily losing ground. The context is noteworthy: According to the reports, global sales of desktop CPUs have plummeted by more than 20 percent, partly because rising RAM prices are driving up overall system costs. Anyone currently building a new computer is feeling the pinch in their wallet, especially if more RAM is on their shopping list.
Laptops: AMD Shows Strongest Year-Over-Year Growth
In the mobile processor segment, AMD is growing only slightly compared to the previous quarter, but significantly year-over-year: 28.9 percent compared to around 20.5 percent twelve months ago, an increase of 8.4 percentage points. While Intel remains the clear number one in the notebook segment with 71.1 percent, the pace at which AMD is catching up here is the highest in the entire client market.
One reason for this is AMD’s Ryzen AI chips, which are now also appearing in unusual form factors, such as the OneXPlayer X2 Mini Pro, a gaming handheld featuring the Ryzen AI Max+ 388. ComputerBase also notes that ARM-based client CPUs, led by Apple Silicon, have reached a new record high of 15.3 percent. This, too, is increasing the pressure on Intel in the mobile sector.
Server CPUs: Epyc Continues to Put Pressure on Xeon
In the server market, AMD’s Epyc series has a 34.5 percent market share, an increase of 1.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. Intel’s Xeon market share has dropped by 7.3 percentage points within a year and now stands at 65.5 percent. Mercury Research analyst Dean McCarron offers a more nuanced interpretation of the figures in an interview with HotHardware: “If market share were calculated solely based on Xeon SP versus Epyc, without certain accounting effects, AMD’s share would be as high as 46.4 percent.”
It’s Not All Bad News for Intel
As clear as the trend may seem at first glance, the picture isn’t quite that one-sided. According to HotHardware, Intel is also posting record growth in the server business, and revenue from AI PC processors rose by 26 percent quarter-over-quarter. So both manufacturers are growing, just at different rates. The overall market for server CPUs has grown by nearly 20 percent year-over-year. For Intel, this essentially means: it is losing market share in relative terms, but not in absolute terms.
Why these numbers stand out right now
The timing makes this development particularly interesting. While AMD is gaining market share, the entire industry is struggling with rising component prices, especially for memory. This is weighing on demand for new desktop systems and is likely to affect the coming quarter as well.
Conclusion
AMD continues to expand its CPU market share in virtually all segments in the second quarter of 2026 and breaks the 30 percent mark for the first time in the client CPU segment. Despite its losses, Intel remains the larger player, but is growing more slowly and losing relative strength, particularly in the server business. Whether this pace holds up in the third quarter will likely depend heavily on how memory prices evolve and how quickly both manufacturers bring their next-generation CPUs to market.
