Worldwide PC microprocessor revenues in 2011 rise 13.2 percent compared to 2010

SAN MATEO, USA: Worldwide PC microprocessor revenues in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011 (4Q11) rose to $10.9 billion, up 1.8 percent compared to 3Q11 and up 14.2 percent compared to 4Q10, according to the latest PC microprocessor market share study from International Data Corp. (IDC). For the year 2011 compared to 2010, PC microprocessor revenues rose 13.2 percent to more than $41 billion.

"The average selling price (ASP) that OEMs pay for PC microprocessors rose more than 9 percent in 2011, making 2011 the second consecutive year of notable ASP increases," said Shane Rau, director of Semiconductors: Personal Computing research at IDC.

Looking at processor unit shipments in 2011 compared to 2010, overall shipments grew 3.6 percent. By form factor, mobile PC processor unit shipments grew 3.9 percent in 2011, while x86 server processor unit shipments grew 9 percent, and desktop processor unit shipments grew 2.7 percent.

4Q11 and 2011 vendor highlights
In 4Q11, Intel earned 80.3 percent overall worldwide unit market share, a gain of 0.1 percent compared to 3Q11. AMD earned 19.6 percent market share in 4Q11, a loss of 0.1 percent compared to 3Q11. VIA Technologies earned 0.1 percent share for the quarter, representing no change.

In 4Q11 by form factor, Intel earned 82.3 percent share in the mobile PC processor segment, no change compared to 3Q11. AMD finished with 17.6 percent, no change compared to 3Q11. In the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with 94.3 percent market share, a loss of 0.8 percent, and AMD earned 5.7 percent, a gain of 0.8 percent. In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 76.1 percent, a gain of 0.3 percent, and AMD earned 23.8%, a loss of 0.3 percent.

For the full year 2011, Intel earned 80.1 percent overall worldwide unit market share, a loss of 0.6 percent compared to 2010. In 2011, AMD earned 19.7 percent, a gain of 0.7 percent compared to 2010. VIA Technologies earned 0.2 percent, a loss of 0.1 percent.

In 2011 by form factor, Intel earned 83.8 percent share in the mobile PC processor segment, a loss of 2.6 percent, AMD finished with 16 percent, a gain of 2.7 percent, and VIA earned 0.2 percent, a loss of 0.1 percent. In the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with 94.5 percent market share, a gain of 1.5 percent and AMD earned 5.5 percent, a loss of 1.5 percent. In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 73.8 percent, a gain of 1.7 percent, AMD earned 26 percent, a loss of 1.6 percent, and VIA earned 0.2 percent, a loss of 0.2 percent.

2012 and long-term market outlook
IDC's forecast for PC microprocessor unit shipment growth in 2012 is 5.1 percent. Since the end of 2011 and through the first quarter of 2012 so far, IDC observes that the hard disk drive shortage that caused PC OEMs to cut back on advanced purchases of PC microprocessors has improved. IDC now believes that the HDD shortage will not be a significant factor in PC shipments in 2Q12.

Combined with improving job growth in the United States and stabilization of sovereign debt issues in Europe, IDC may raise this growth rate modestly after the close of 1Q12.