Graphics card shipments rose to 12.5 million despite higher prices

Global shipments of add-in-board graphics cards reached 12.5 million units in the second quarter, according to John Peddie Research. That was a 10% increase from the previous quarter.

Nvidia remained dominant in the consumer market with a 90% share. AMD held 8% and Intel 2%, while Nvidia’s share slipped by just 0.01%.

Graphics cards rise as PCs decline

The share of desktop PC buyers who also purchased an add-in graphics board climbed to 89%, a 23% quarter-over-quarter increase. By contrast, desktop PC CPU shipments fell to 14 million units, down 10.5% from the previous quarter and 33% year over year.

The report does not identify the specific graphics cards buyers selected. The article notes that some consumers may have chosen older, cheaper models instead of newer cards with upscaling and frame-generation features.

A possible reason for stronger demand

John Peddie attributed the surge in high-end graphics card sales partly to fears of further price increases. His theory is that consumers bought add-in boards before prices rose again.

The article links component supply constraints to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, which it says have continued since February 2026. The report does not establish which models made up most of the shipments.