What just happened? For the first time in fifteen years, AMD overtook Intel in terms of its share of the global desktop CPU market, according to PassMark. The news represents another step for AMD closing the gap on what was once the undisputed leader in the consumer processor space.
The latest results from benchmarking giant PassMark Software for the first quarter of 2021 show AMD having a 50.8% share of the worldwide desktop CPU market, leaving Intel with 49.2%. The last time the red team took the lead was in the first quarter of 2006, although their 53.9% lead lasted only a quarter.
Chipzilla still dominates in the notebook segment with an 83.8% share, while AMD holds 16.3%. The difference is even more pronounced in the server space: Intel has 98.6%, AMD only 1.4%.
However, looking at all CPUs, AMD’s new leadership in desktops means that the difference between it and Intel is the smallest (about 22.2 percent) in the past 15 years.
PassMark notes that its data is comprised of thousands of PerformanceTest benchmark results (download here) and, as its software only runs on the Windows operating system, the graphics do not reflect non-Windows users.
We’ve seen AMD breathing in its rival’s neck since the launch of Ryzen processors in 2017, with each generation of architecture putting increasing pressure on Intel’s former fan favorite. We love the 7 nm Ryzen 5000 series – the only real problem is finding one.
Intel also has the additional concern of reaching the 5 nm Zen 4 later this year. Its Rocket Lake processors, which use a variant of Sunny Cove with a backport for the 14 nm process, are falling in March.