Overall PC GPU shipments decreased -5.3% from last quarter, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected numerous areas of business.
Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has just released its PC graphics market watch report for the first quarter of 2020. Prior to 2020, the market saw signs of stabilizing into a new normal; the updated report confirms that trend for the first quarter of 2020.
The three major players in the PC GPU market are AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. According to JPR, overall GPU shipments decreased -5.3% from last quarter; AMD shipments decreased -16.6%; Nvidia decreased -13.6%; while Intel's shipments increased 0.5%.
JPR continuously tracks market share for PC GPU suppliers to create a picture of the competitive landscape. AMD's market share from last quarter decreased -2.3%; Intel's increased 3.8%; and Nvidia's market share decreased -1.58%.
Quick report highlights
- AMD's overall unit shipments decreased by -16.6% quarter-to-quarter; Intel's total shipments increased by 0.5% from last quarter; and Nvidia's decreased -13.6%.
- The overall attach rate of GPUs (includes integrated and discrete GPUs) to PCs for the quarter was 128%, which was down -4.8% from last quarter.
- The overall PC market decreased by -1.74% quarter-to-quarter and increased 15.53% year-to-year.
- Desktop graphics add-in boards (AIBs that use discrete GPUs) decreased -19.53% from last quarter.
- Q1'20 saw a decrease in tablet shipments from last quarter.
“COVID-19 has been disruptive and had varying effects on the market,” noted JPR president, Jon Peddie. “Some sales that might have occurred in Q3 (such as notebooks for the back-to-school season) have been pulled in to Q1 and probably will continue to sell well in Q2. That will unbalance the seasonality usually seen but not have a major impact on the overall sales for the year.”
“We believe the stay at home orders are creating pent up demand,” he added. “Some of it will be offset due to the record-setting unemployment. Although unemployment will have a limited effect on many computer buyers, who may at least weather the early phases of the pandemic lock-downs and subsequent recession because their work lends itself to remote computing, consumer confidence is going to be impacted and jobs will be lost."
The report goes on to say that GPUs are traditionally a leading indicator of the market, since a GPU goes into every system before the suppliers ships the PC. Most of the semiconductor vendors are guiding down for next quarter, by an average of -9%. Some that guidance is based on normal seasonality, but there is also a factor for the Coronavirus impact.
Source: Jon Peddie Research
