A stunning new report reveals Intel is now neck and neck with AMD relating to graphics card market share – a seemingly exceptional achievement contemplating Intel has solely not too long ago began producing discrete shopper GPUs.

I say “seemingly” because the report, which comes courtesy of PC market analysis firm JPR (opens in new tab), notes that each AMD and Intel are on 9% of the GPU market – whereas market chief Nvidia is means forward of each at an enormous 82% of the market.

Whereas it’s definitely spectacular that Intel has managed to meet up with the rather more established (within the discrete GPU house) AMD, there’s no denying that it feels a bit like Intel and AMD are preventing over scraps, whereas Nvidia continues to dominate gross sales.

A monopoly isn’t good

Now, I’m an enormous fan of Nvidia, and like many PC avid gamers, Group Inexperienced is just about my default selection after I improve my rig, and it’s additionally truthful to say that Nvidia has earned a number of its success due to producing a number of the greatest graphics playing cards cash can purchase.

Nevertheless, it’s by no means nice when a single firm so completely dominates a market. Market leaders with such an enormous lead over their rivals can typically be seen as complacent – in any case, why innovate in case you’re making enormous quantities of money anyway?

Many individuals argue that Nvidia is responsible of that, particularly with its RTX 4000 sequence GPUs, which have up to now focused on the high-end market, whereas neglecting avid gamers who’re on the lookout for extra reasonably priced graphics playing cards.

The corporate has additionally made some high-profile errors not too long ago, such because the RTX 4080 12GB debacle – which noticed Nvidia unexpectedly ‘unlaunch’ one of many RTX 4080 fashions, solely to later relaunch it because the RTX 4070 Ti after a public backlash. It could possibly be argued that with Nvidia having fun with such a cushty lead, it’s pushing its luck and making errors (and anti-consumer strikes) it may not have accomplished if that lead was extra slender.

However, with Intel and AMD languishing on simply 9% every, it appears to be like like there’s no probability Nvidia’s dominance goes to be significantly challenged any time quickly.

Kudos to Intel

Regardless of this, we actually shouldn’t take away from what Intel has managed right here. The corporate, which is greatest identified for its processors, launched its first Arc discrete gaming GPU in October 2022, so the truth that it’s now degree with AMD, which has been promoting discrete GPUs for many years, is a formidable feat.

That is very true contemplating that Intel’s launch of its Arc GPUs wasn’t the smoothest, due to rumors of delays and poor efficiency.

In actuality, the Arc GPUs we’ve seen up to now provide excellent worth for cash, and relatively than attempting to compete with Nvidia’s highly effective flagship GPUs just like the RTX 4080 and 4090, they’re battling it out with AMD to win over avid gamers with tighter budgets.

Splitting the price range market so efficiently is dangerous information for AMD, and whereas I’m certain Nvidia can be keeping track of Intel’s progress, the truth that the corporate doesn’t appear to care concerning the price range market means its reign on the prime will proceed with relative ease. Whether or not or not that’s good for customers, although, is one other story.

Through PC Gamer (opens in new tab)