What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Yes. AMD continued to gain share of x86 CPU shipments in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 30.7% overall, while Intel held 69.3%. AMD also gained year over year in client, desktop, mobile, and server shipments—but Intel remained the unit leader in each segment. These figures measure CPUs shipped during the quarter, not revenue, profit, or the share of computers already in use.
What AMD’s and Intel’s Q2 2026 shipment shares show
Mercury Research estimates, reported by Tom’s Hardware on August 22, 2026, show AMD at 30.7% of overall x86 CPU unit shipments in Q2 2026, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous quarter and 6.5 points from a year earlier. Intel had the remaining 69.3%. Tom’s Hardware’s report on Mercury Research’s Q2 2026 estimates provides the figures below.
| Segment | AMD | Intel | AMD change, sequential | AMD change, year over year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall x86 CPUs | 30.7% | 69.3% | +0.7 percentage points | +6.5 percentage points |
| Client CPUs | 30.3% | 69.7% | +0.7 percentage points | +6.4 percentage points |
| Desktop CPUs | 34.9% | 65.1% | +1.8 percentage points | +2.7 percentage points |
| Mobile CPUs | 28.9% | 71.1% | +0.6 percentage points | +8.4 percentage points |
| Server CPUs | 34.5% | 65.5% | +1.3 percentage points | +7.3 percentage points |
All figures are estimates of quarterly x86 CPU unit shipments, not revenue or installed-base shares. The client result was also reported by TechSpot, which notes that shipment share is not the portion of existing systems in use or revenue share. TechSpot’s client-share report explains that distinction.
What “market share” means here—and what it does not
In these results, market share means AMD’s or Intel’s portion of CPU units shipped into the market during Q2 2026. It does not tell you what percentage of PCs currently in use contain each company’s processor, how much revenue either company earned from CPUs, or which company was more profitable. Nor does a share gain by itself show that one company’s processors are a better choice for a particular buyer.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
- The world’s fastest gaming processor, built on AMD ‘Zen5’ technology and Next Gen 3D V-Cache.
- 8 cores and 16 threads, delivering +~16% IPC uplift and great power efficiency
- 96MB L3 cache with better thermal performance vs. previous gen and allowing higher clock speeds, up to 5.2GHz
- Drop-in ready for proven Socket AM5 infrastructure
- Cooler not included
Scope matters, too. The all-CPU measure—including IoT, system-on-chip (SoC), and embedded products—puts AMD at 34.1% and Intel at 65.9%. That broader population is not the same as the 30.7% versus 69.3% comparison for overall x86 CPU shipments.
Where AMD gained, and why share can rise while shipments fall
Mobile and server posted the largest year-over-year gains
AMD’s share gains were largest year over year in mobile, at 8.4 percentage points, and in server, at 7.3 points. Those gains still left Intel ahead in both reported segments: 71.1% to 28.9% in mobile and 65.5% to 34.5% in the broad server CPU comparison.
Rank #2
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gaming and Content Creation Processor
- Max. Boost Clock : Up to 5.7 GHz; Base Clock: 4.3 GHz
- Form Factor: Desktops , Boxed Processor
- Architecture: Zen 5; Former Codename: Granite Ridge AM5
A narrower comparison of AMD EPYC with Intel Xeon puts AMD at 46.4%, but it excludes Intel edge and networking processors included in the broader server market. It therefore answers a narrower question than the 34.5% server CPU share and should not be treated as the same measure.
Desktop share rose despite falling shipments
AMD’s desktop share reached 34.9%, up 1.8 percentage points sequentially and 2.7 points year over year. Yet AMD’s own desktop shipments fell. Desktop CPU shipments across the market dropped by more than 20% both sequentially and year over year; AMD gained share because its shipments declined less than Intel’s. A higher share in a shrinking segment is not proof of higher unit sales.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRank #3
- Can deliver fast 100 plus FPS performance in the world's most popular games, discrete graphics card required
- 6 Cores and 12 processing threads, bundled with the AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- 4.2 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 19 MB cache, DDR4-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform
Quarterly market conditions shaped the results
Mercury Research principal analyst Dean McCarron said that total x86 and Arm CPU shipments grew by more than 10% sequentially in Q2 2026—far above the slight seasonal decline he said would normally be expected. He attributed the growth in part to a large increase in Intel CPU supplies, especially mobile client processors, after a couple of heavily supply-constrained quarters, alongside continued strong ramps for AMD products. Tom’s Hardware reported McCarron’s comments with the estimates.
That supply context helps explain why a quarter can show both a stronger overall market and changing company shares. It does not turn unit share into a measure of demand, revenue, or profit. On a year-over-year basis, the broader CPU market contracted in units, largely because IoT, SoC, and embedded volumes fell, including lower game-console-related shipments.
Rank #4
- Processor provides dependable and fast execution of tasks with maximum efficiency.Graphics Frequency : 2200 MHZ.Number of CPU Cores : 8. Maximum Operating Temperature (Tjmax) : 89°C.
- Ryzen 7 product line processor for better usability and increased efficiency
- 5 nm process technology for reliable performance with maximum productivity
- Octa-core (8 Core) processor core allows multitasking with great reliability and fast processing speed
- 8 MB L2 plus 96 MB L3 cache memory provides excellent hit rate in short access time enabling improved system performance
Company revenue is a different comparison
Company earnings reports provide useful business context, but their segment revenue figures cannot be substituted for Mercury Research’s shipment shares. AMD reported Q2 2026 Data Center revenue of $6.7 billion, up 107% year over year, driven by demand for EPYC processors and Instinct MI350 GPUs. Client revenue was $3.1 billion, up 23%; AMD said the increase primarily reflected a 34% rise in client processor unit shipments, partly offset by a 6% decline in average selling price. AMD’s Q2 2026 Form 10-Q reports those company figures.
Intel reported Q2 2026 revenue of $16.1 billion, up 25% year over year, including $8.9 billion in Client Computing and Physical AI Group revenue and $6.3 billion in Data Center and AI revenue. Intel also announced Xeon 6+. Those are Intel’s own financial-reporting categories, not market-share categories, so they should not be compared directly with AMD’s segment revenue or treated as unit shares. Intel’s Q2 2026 earnings release gives the company’s results.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Quick Recap
Best Value
- Pure gaming performance with smooth 100+ FPS in the world's most popular games
- 6 Cores and 12 processing threads, based on AMD "Zen 5" architecture
- 5.4 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 38 MB cache, DDR5-5600 support
- For the state-of-the-art Socket AM5 platform, can support PCIe 5.0 on select motherboards
- Cooler not included
How to read the next market-share update
- Check the segment: overall x86, client, desktop, mobile, and server are distinct comparisons.
- Check the measure: shipment share is about units shipped in a period; revenue share and installed-base share answer different questions.
- Check the processor population: x86 CPU-only results are not interchangeable with figures that also include IoT, SoCs, or embedded products.
- Check the time frame: sequential change compares with the prior quarter; year-over-year change compares with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Check server scope: broad server CPU share includes products omitted from the EPYC-versus-Xeon comparison.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
