New data from Jon Peddie Research shows the x86 CPU market ended Q4 2025 with momentum in both major categories: client PCs and servers. Shipments rose quarter over quarter in each segment, with servers clearly outpacing PCs as data center and AI infrastructure demand continued to ramp.
On the client side, global CPU shipments grew 2.7% compared with Q3 2025. Even with that sequential gain, shipments were still down 7% versus Q4 2024, highlighting that the PC market’s recovery remains uneven year over year. The report points to a familiar mix of influences behind late-2025 buying patterns, including shifting tariff expectations and the approaching end of support for Windows 10, which helped trigger refresh activity.
Jon Peddie Research also noted that growth looked broadly seasonal, but a bit softer than typical for the period. Looking ahead, the firm expects Q1 2026 to cool off, citing headwinds such as memory-related constraints and higher processing costs.
Servers were the clear bright spot. x86 server CPU shipments climbed 6.5% quarter over quarter in Q4 2025 and jumped 13.6% compared with the same quarter a year earlier. That strength is being driven by continued spending on traditional data centers alongside soaring interest in AI servers, where CPU demand benefits from new deployments and expanding capacity.
Market share data underscores how competitive the server space has become. AMD’s server share rose to 28.8% in Q4 2025, up from 25.2% in Q4 2024. Intel, while still holding the majority, slipped to 71% from 75% over the same period. Separate industry tracking aligns with that unit-share picture and also indicates AMD gained meaningfully on the revenue side as well.
AMD’s gains reflect a server portfolio that has continued to resonate with cloud and enterprise buyers, and the company has already signaled that its next-generation Zen 6 family is planned for 2026. Intel, meanwhile, is emphasizing a tighter, faster product roadmap aimed at defending and rebuilding share through 2026. The company has described a strategy built around simplified planning, accelerated execution, and major updates across both server and client lineups.
In the data center, Intel says demand for traditional servers remains strong and that it is working to increase capacity to meet rising customer needs that extend beyond 2026. The company also describes streamlining its roadmap around 16-channel Diamond Rapids while pushing to accelerate Coral Rapids where possible, including bringing multi-threading back into its data center plans. Intel additionally points to ongoing work with NVIDIA, including a custom Xeon concept integrated with NVLink aimed at improving x86 performance for AI host nodes.
Taken together, Q4 2025 paints a clear picture of where the x86 market’s center of gravity is shifting. PC CPUs are improving quarter to quarter but remain challenged year over year, while server CPUs are growing faster thanks to data center buildouts and AI-driven deployments. As 2026 unfolds, watch server roadmap execution, platform availability, and broader supply constraints—especially memory—as the key factors shaping shipment trends.
