Overall GPU Shipments Drop From Last Quarter

Discrete GPUs continue to slip as embedded GPUs in the CPU and APU bring better performance for free. The erosion of the low end of the market by tablets seems to have subsided, and even tablet sales were off for the second quarter in a row, according to findings by Jon Peddie Research (JPR).

Graphics processors, stand-alone discrete devices, and embedded processor-based GPUs are ubiquitous and essential components in all systems and device today from handheld mobile devices, PCs, and workstations, to TVs, servers, vehicle systems, signage, game consoles, medical equipment, and wearables. New technologies and semiconductor manufacturing processes are taking advantage of the ability of GPU power to scale. The GPU drives the screen of every device we encounter - it is the human-machine interface.

JPR has just released a new report on the GPUs found in PCs.The second quarter is typically down in the seasonality cycles of the past and was below the 10-year average of 6.86%.

Quick highlights:

AMDs overall unit shipments decreased -25.82% quarter-to-quarter, Intels total shipments decreased -7.39% from last quarter, and Nvidias decreased -16.19%.

The attach rate of GPUs (includes integrated and discrete GPUs) to PCs for the quarter was 137%, which was down -10.82% from last quarter, and 26.43% of PCs had discrete GPUs, which is down -4.15%.

The overall PC market decreased -4.05% quarter-to-quarter, and decreased -10.40% year-to-year.

Desktop graphics add-in boards (AIBs) that use discrete GPUs decreased -16.81% from last quarter.

The quarter in general

AMDs shipments of desktop heterogeneous GPU/CPUs, that is, APUs, increased 25.0% from the previous quarter, and were down -53.5% in notebooks. AMDs discrete desktop shipments decreased -33.33% from last quarter, and notebook discrete shipments decreased -9.1%. The companys overall PC graphics shipments decreased -25.8% from the previous quarter.

Intels desktop processor embedded graphics (EPGs) shipments decreased from last quarter by -7.4%, and notebooks decreased by -7.3%. The companys overall PC graphics shipments decreased -7.4% from last quarter.

Nvidias desktop discrete shipments were down -12.03% from last quarter; and the companys notebook discrete shipments decreased -21.6%. The companys overall PC graphics shipment decreased -16.2% from last quarter. The company saw strength in gaming from Western Europe and China, which helped it buck a down quarter for the industry.

Total discrete GPU (desktop and notebook) shipments from the last quarter decreased -17.07% and decreased -26.27% from last year. Sales of discrete GPUs fluctuate due to a variety of factors (timing, memory pricing, and so forth), new product introductions, and the influence of integrated graphics. Overall, the CAGR from 2014 to 2017 is now -6%.

Ninety nine percent of Intels non-server processors have graphics, and over 66% of AMDs non-server processors contain integrated graphics; AMD still ships integrated graphics chipsets (IGPs).

Because graphics chips (GPUs) and chips with graphics (IGPs, APUs, and EPGs), GPU shipments are a leading indicator for the PC market. At least one and often two GPUs are present in every PC shipped. It can take the form of a discrete chip, a GPU integrated in the chip set or embedded in the CPU. The average has grown from 1.2 GPUs per PC in 2001 to almost 1.55 GPUs per PC.

JPR's fact- and data-based report does not pull any punches; frankly, readers will be shocked by some of the analysis and insight. The findings include discrete and integrated graphics (CPU and chipset) for desktops, notebooks (and netbooks), and PC-based commercial (POS) and industrial/scientific , and embedded. This report does not include the x86 game consoles, handhelds (mobile phones), x86 servers , or ARM-based tablets (iPad and Android-based tablets), or ARM-based Servers. It does include x86-based tablets, Chromebooks, and embedded systems.

Jon Peddie Researchs Market Watch is available in both electronic and hard copy editions, and sells for $2,500.

LINK:	http://www.cgw.com/Press-Center/In-Focus/2015/Overall-GPU-Shipments-Dr...
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