Intel has regained a significant share of the desktop processor market, surpassing 70% in the third quarter of 2026. According to Mercury Research, Intel's market presence increased from 65.1% in the second quarter to 70.1% in the third quarter.
AMD saw its share of desktop x86 processor shipments drop from 34.9% to 29.9% over the same period. This shift of approximately five percentage points marks a reversal after a period of growth for AMD, which had reached a record 30.3% share in the client x86 segment in the second quarter.
Analysts suggest that Intel may have redirected supply from the mobile segment to desktop PCs to meet seasonal demand. Additionally, AMD's reliance on the high-end gaming market may have negatively impacted its performance, as demand for premium gaming systems has been constrained by high component costs and GPU shortages.
The data reflects shipment volumes to manufacturers rather than consumer retail sales. The broader desktop CPU market continues to face challenges, with shipment volumes down by more than 20% compared to the same period in the previous year.
