According to the latest reports, things are shaking up a bit on the CPU and GPU fronts as gamers make their latest upgrade choices. When it comes to processors it looks like gamers are now primarily using eight-core CPUs after a decades-long trend of using 4C/8T offerings from AMD and Intel. It’s been a close race with hex core or 6C/8T CPUs as many users overclocked their lower-core, more budget-friendly brethren to get the most out of them but according to data shared from CPU-Z Validator, it looks as if 8C/16T is the new choice among PC users in general.
Usage of 8C processors is now at an all-time high of 24.7%, an increase of 32.6% from last year, with AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D being the most popular. Hex core CPUs are at a close second place at 22.5% but dipped by 6.9%, while four core processors dropped bt 13.2% to 19.4%. Intel still holds the majority market share when it comes to processors at 56.3% but has lost 10.0% year over year while AMD at 43.7%, continues to gain ground at an increase of 16.6%.
Most popular GPUs
NVIDIA is still the reigning GPU manufacturer of choice with a 67.9% share but has seen a significant loss from last year when it was over 75%. AMD’s Radeon 7000 RDNA3 series and recent 9000 RDNA 4 series launch, combined with NVIDIA’s skyrocketing prices are likely reasons for it now sitting at 31.5%, once again another 16.6% gain. Intel too has seen some growth in this sector and while seemingly small at 0.7% it is an increase of 27.1% from the previous year. Meanwhile, it should be noted that NVIDIA’s GPUs occupy all of the top ten with its RTX 3060 and RTX 4060 holding the top spots.
From VRAM to Chipsets
A more hilarious trend spotted is the 3,394.1% increase for GPU VRAM size among those who are now using GPUs with 32 GB. This no doubt is due to folks that have snagged one of NVIDIA’s flagship RTX 5090 GPUs that range in price from $2K to upwards of $4K. Another interesting trend is that AMD’s budget-friendly B650 chipset has seen an increase of 89.9% to claim to share the top spots with its older sibling, the B550 at 9.8%, and the B450 slightly behind at 7.3%. Intel’s flagship Z790 resides in fourth place at 5.9% having dropped by 28.1% since last year.
Summary
Clearly users are looking for the most economical means to upgrading, purchasing, or upgrading PCs. AMD’s gains tend to represent more optimal performance vs cost but product supply is an ongoing factor for both it and NVIDIA. Meanwhile, Intel, who still sits at the top of the CPU manufacturer list, looks to be losing ground there while its GPU division could stand to make major gains if it too could get more products to market as the low-to-mid GPU segment experiences greater levels of competition and growth opportunities from low-cost offerings.
Discussion (5 replies)
Join Discussion →Ok tha is actually interesting. The ones sitting at the top are loosing a market they no longer care about. And amd meanwhile is just raking it in.
That is interesting, but the cheapest GPU's have always held the top spot for years, as most gamers are probably younger and that's what they can afford. It has been told over and over that Nvidia is aiming more towards the AI side of things where the most money is at right now. AMD is in a good spot as far as affordability wise for these lower budget gamers.
AMD has outright said the future is AI, something Nvidia is way in front of. Gaming GPUs are going to be few and far between soon. Neither company honestly give a rat's behind......it's almost a halo product category. Console chips, I bet there is still a pretty good chunk of AMDs income there. But lets be honest, giant centers full of servers and AI GPUs make those CEO salivate.
Yea that is true our real shift... and I freaking HATE it mind you. Will be to SOC only systems. No more discreet GPU/CPU/RAM/Storage. You get what you buy then you sell/retire/dispose of it to get the new hotness. No more upgrade x piece at a time for anyone. Oh and you want to unlock ALL of the cores on that SOC, well there is a small monthly licensing/warranty fee that comes with that to make your 8 thread system a 32 thread beast , Oh you want 256 gb of ram sure for a small monthly fee... Oh storage... yep a small monthly fee, Oh you want the full GPU capabilities.... for a small you guessed it Monthly fee...
Remember we are moving into the own NOTHING pay for everything UNLESS you happen to be well off.
This will lead to an underground market for fully unlocked systems, obfuscating your ID online, watching out for the network overlords hunting down the over powered machines we known and love to send the corporate enforcement to shut them down... or you know 'fix the glitch'.
Yea... that's in pretty much every sci-fi future based TTRPG out there. Same with multinational companies having extraterritoriality to protect their assets on company owned property.
I don't know if all of that will happen in my lifetime... but I do see it happening.
If that happens I will hate it for future PC gamers, but for me I will be out of the gaming hobby by the time that would come to fruition.