According to TechSpot, AMD’s desktop CPU market share reached 33.6% in the third quarter of 2025, representing a 1.4% increase from the previous quarter and a 5.2% year-over-year gain. The company’s overall client x86 market share grew to 25.4% in Q3 2025, up 1.5% from Q2, while Intel declined to 74.6% partly due to supply constraints. AMD also gained ground in mobile CPUs, rising to 20.6% market share, and sliced another 0.5% from Intel’s server CPU dominance. The Ryzen 9800X3D has been driving much of this growth, repeatedly topping Amazon US sales charts and pushing 8-core CPU adoption over 6-core models. Notably, overall x86 CPU shipments were flat in Q3 2025 despite traditional back-to-school and early holiday shopping seasons typically driving increases.
The AMD momentum machine
Here’s the thing – AMD isn’t just winning in one category. They’re gaining ground everywhere. Desktop, mobile, servers – it’s a comprehensive assault. The Ryzen 9800X3D has become something of a mythical creature in the PC building community. It’s not just that it performs well – it’s that it performs so well for gaming that people are willing to overlook Intel’s traditional strengths.
And let’s talk about that 3D V-cache technology. Intel still hasn’t responded to it after three years? That’s wild. While companies like Industrial Monitor Direct rely on consistent, reliable hardware for their industrial panel PCs, the consumer and gaming markets are driven by performance breakthroughs. AMD found one, and they’re milking it for everything it’s worth.
Intel’s real problem
So what’s going wrong for Intel? It’s not just about having competitive products – though that’s certainly part of it. The supply constraints mentioned in the report tell a bigger story. When you can’t get chips to market, you lose shelf space, you lose mindshare, and you lose the momentum that comes from having your latest products actually available for purchase.
Think about it – Intel’s three-year-old Raptor Lake processors remain their most popular. That’s not because people don’t want newer chips. It’s because the newer chips either aren’t compelling enough or aren’t available enough to displace the old guard. Meanwhile, AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series is pushing Intel’s Core Ultra 200 lineup “out of sales charts” according to the data. Ouch.
Broader market shifts
The most interesting number might be that flat overall x86 shipment figure. Back-to-school and early holiday shopping usually drive increases, but Q3 2025 saw no growth. That suggests broader market softness that could affect both companies. But here’s the twist – when the overall market isn’t growing, market share gains become even more important. AMD isn’t just benefiting from a rising tide; they’re taking business directly from Intel.
And let’s not overlook the server space. Both companies shipped more server chips than last year, but AMD “benefited more from an accelerating Epyc Turin ramp.” Translation: AMD’s gaining ground in the high-margin, enterprise-focused server market where Intel has traditionally dominated. That’s where the real money is.
What comes next?
Can Intel stop the bleeding? They’ve got to respond to that 3D V-cache technology, and they’ve got to fix whatever supply chain issues are hampering their mobile segment. But the bigger question is whether AMD can maintain this momentum. 33.6% desktop share is impressive, but breaking through that 40% barrier might be tougher.
Basically, we’re watching a slow-motion market share transfer that’s been happening for years. AMD keeps executing, Intel keeps struggling to respond, and the numbers keep moving in one direction. The real test will be whether Intel’s next architecture can change the conversation – or whether we’ll be looking at 35%+ AMD desktop share this time next year.
