How well did AMD, Nvidia and Intel GPUs sell in Q4 2015?

During the fourth quarter of 2015, global GPU shipments increased 2.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter, but declined 14 per cent year-on-year.

Desktop graphics shipments dipped nine per cent while notebook GPUs fell 17 per cent.

Looking at the vendors in particular, AMD’s shipments of desktop heterogeneous GPU/CPUs (i.e. APUs) for desktops decreased 4.3 per cent from the previous quarter.

However, AMD’s shipments were up 30.3 per cent in notebooks. Desktop discrete (standalone) GPUs increased 6.69 per cent from last quarter, and notebook discrete shipments decreased 1.3 per cent. AMD’s total PC graphics shipments increased 5.2 per cent from the previous quarter.

Intel’s desktop processor embedded graphics (EPGs) shipments increased by 6.1 per cent in Q4, quarter-on-quarter, and notebook processors decreased by 1.7 per cent. Intel’s overall shipments rose by 0.7 per cent from Q3. 

Nvidia’s desktop discrete GPU shipments were down 7.56 per cent from the prior quarter, and the company’s notebook discrete GPU shipments increased 34.2 per cent. Overall, its GPU shipments increased 8.4 per cent from Q3.

Looking at discrete GPUs (for both desktop and notebook) in particular, shipments increased 6.57 per cent from the last quarter and decreased seven per cent from last year.

Jon Peddie Research said in a statement: "The GPU market and the PC market in general seems to have found its new normal. The gaming PC segment, where higher-end GPUs are used, was once again the bright spot in the overall PC market for the quarter.

"The GPU market is rebounding and outperforming the PC market, which is stabilising.

"Although neither AMD nor Nvidia introduced new GPUs in the second half in 2015, the chips they did introduce in Q1 and Q2 2015 were solid performers. That, combined with the introduction of a half dozen really terrific and processor-intensive games in the second half of 2014 fed a buying frenzy that drove the GPU sales in desktop add-in boards (AIBs) and the new gaming notebook sales in Q4.

"Most of the PC vendors are guiding cautiously for Q1 2016. That is consistent with the shipments we have seen in Q4 2015 and also with seasonal trends."

Other GPU highlights:

• The attach rate of GPUs (including integrated and discrete GPUs) to PCs for the quarter was 139 per cent, which was up 0.59 per cent from the last quarter
• Discrete GPUs were in 31.28 per cent of PCs, which is up 1.34 per cent
• The overall PC market increased 2.01 per cent quarter-to-quarter, and decreased 10.27 per cent year-on-year
• Desktop graphics add-in boards (AIBs) that use discrete GPUs decreased 4.87 per cent from last quarter

Information taken from the full Jon Peddie Research’s Market Watch report, which is available here.