Global PC graphics board market sees quarterly shipment decline as Intel gains share and desktop attach rates rise amid supply chain challenges
The global PC graphics add in board market declined in Q1 2026, according to the latest market analysis from analyst firm Jon Peddie Research. Global graphics board shipments came in at 11.82 million units in the latest reporting period, down 0.6 percent quarter over quarter. The number fell below the 10 year average shipment value of 12.07 percent for the opening period of the year. Overall the market showed signs of life in other directions though, posting an 8.3 percent increase over the same period of the previous year.
Industry experts say the latest quarterly decline is not the result of reduced consumer demand, but rather an economic overhang which saw consumer access to graphics cards hampered by price and the tight hardware ecosystem. Dr Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research described the dominant factors behind the current slowdown.
"The quarter's AIB shipments were down because of higher prices and limited supply as a result of limited memory and supply chain disruptions. "
The major semiconductor suppliers saw slight changes in their individual market share percentages. Intel was the only chip maker to gain market share, with its percentage up 0.4 percent quarter over quarter. AMD was slightly down from the previous quarter, shedding 0.04 percent of its total market share, and Nvidia was down 0.4 percent.
Despite the lower shipments for the period, dedicated graphics hardware penetration in desktop computers increased. Add in board attach rate in desktops reached 76 percent during the quarter, up a notable 33.2 percent over the previous quarter. This increase in the add in board attach rate happened in the face of a sharp contraction in the overall desktop CPU market with shipments down 24 percent quarter over quarter and 25 percent year over year, to 15.7 million units.
The long term picture for the graphics board market is for stability to emerge. Jon Peddie Research is forecasting a negative compound annual growth rate of 3.3 percent for add in boards from 2024 through 2029. By the end of the 5 year forecast period the globalinstalled base of graphics boards will be 183,000,000 units. The firm is also forecasting a 129 percent aggregate attach rate for dedicated graphics hardware in the desktop PC market over the same 5 year period, driven by professional and consumer demand dynamics.
