Advanced Micro Devices widened its footprint across the x86 CPU market in the third quarter, advancing in desktops, servers, and laptops, according to new data from Mercury Research. The gains highlight an ongoing shift in an industry long dominated by Intel, even as both companies work through a challenging CPU market shaped by inventory adjustments and supply realignments.

What made Q3 unusual was the lack of the normal seasonal lift. Typically, the market expands as PC makers prepare for back-to-school sales and then ramp into holiday demand. Instead, total x86 shipments were essentially flat. Mercury analysts cited two drivers: a correction after earlier stockpiling tied to tariff concerns, and tight supply of Intel’s entry-level mobile processors as the company prioritized manufacturing capacity for its newest server chips.

Desktops: AMD’s Strongest Axis

In the desktop CPUs sector, AMD climbed to 33.6% unit share, its highest level to date, buoyed by strong demand for its Ryzen 9000-series Granite Ridge processors. Desktop growth was “strong but below seasonal norms,” Mercury reported, yet AMD’s expansion outpaced Intel’s. The market share shift was driven not just by high-end enthusiasm but also solid mid-range performance, creating a broad tailwind for AMD’s desktop portfolio.

Still, Intel continues to ship the majority of desktop CPUs, holding 66.4% share. But supply shortages for its widely used Raptor Lake series limited its ability to meet demand. The tightness also nudged average selling prices upward, even as Intel ceded more of the premium segment. AMD, by contrast, enjoyed a shift toward its higher-margin SKUs, posting record desktop revenue for the quarter.

Mobile CPUs: A More Measured Battleground

In mobile computing, Intel remained dominant at 78.1% share. AMD inched up sequentially, to 21.9% share, after two quarters of declines, benefiting from Intel’s reduced output of small-core CPUs. But year over year, AMD slipped slightly as Intel recorded a modest gain.

The revenue picture tilted more favorably toward AMD. With Intel’s low-end parts in short supply, the market skewed toward mid-range and premium systems, territory where AMD’s Ryzen mobile lineup is most competitive. The effect elevated average selling prices for both companies but provided greater relative lift for AMD.

Servers: Gains by Inches

AMD’s share in x86 server CPUs reached 27.8%, a sequential gain that continues a multi-year steady climb. Shipment volumes for both vendors were largely flat, which placed emphasis on product mix. AMD’s Turin EPYC processors and Intel’s Xeon 6 Granite Rapids both carry higher price points, allowing each company to post revenue improvement even as unit counts stayed roughly level.

For AMD, Turin’s momentum pushed server revenue to another all-time high. Intel still holds more than 72% of the segment, yet the gradual erosion of that position has long term ramifications. AMD executives have spoken publicly about an ambition to capture half the server CPU revenue market within several years, which is possible given recent trends.

A Market in Transition

Threaded through all of this is a broader reshaping of the compute landscape. Arm-based processors, powered by Apple’s strength in the client market and early traction in servers, reached 11.6% share. And Intel, while under pressure, is working to stabilize its footing with next-generation client and server platforms that aim to reclaim performance leadership.

For now, AMD holds the momentum edge in late 2025. Its gains aren’t explosive, but they are steady, broad-based, and increasingly visible in revenue as well as units, signals that the competitive balance of the x86 era continues to evolve in real time.