AMD Could Overtake Intel in Quarterly Revenue for the First Time
United States.- 6 November 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com AMD is on track to surpass Intel in quarterly revenue for the first time in its history, driven by the rapid expansion of its artificial intelligence and data centre businesses.
The company, led by Lisa Su, expects to generate approximately $17 billion in revenue during the fourth quarter of 2026, while Intel forecasts between $15 billion and $16 billion.
If both companies meet their projections, AMD would achieve a historic milestone against its longstanding rival, which dominated the processor industry for decades.
Forecasts Point to a Historic Shift
AMD published its third-quarter financial results on 3 November 2026.
Alongside the figures, the company forecast approximately $17 billion in revenue for October to December, with a 3% margin of variation.
This represents an estimated range of $16.5 billion to $17.5 billion.
Intel, meanwhile, announced on 29 October that it expects fourth-quarter revenue between $15 billion and $16 billion.
Even the lower end of AMD’s forecast exceeds Intel’s highest projected figure.
However, the outcome remains unconfirmed until both companies publish their final results.
AMD Reports Record Third-Quarter Revenue
AMD generated approximately $13.4 billion in revenue during the third quarter of 2026, representing year-on-year growth of 45%.
Intel reported approximately $16.5 billion, an increase of 21%.
Although Intel maintained higher revenue, the gap between the two companies narrowed considerably.
The trend reflects AMD’s accelerating growth and increasing presence across technology infrastructure markets.
Artificial Intelligence Drives Expansion
Data centres represent AMD’s principal growth engine.
During the third quarter, the division generated $8.5 billion in revenue, an increase of 97% compared with the previous year.
Growth was supported by demand for EPYC processors and Instinct AI accelerators.
These products are used in servers and infrastructure designed to process large volumes of data and support artificial intelligence applications.
AMD expects its data centre business to continue expanding during the final quarter of 2026.
Helios Strengthens Competition with NVIDIA
AMD is also developing Helios, its infrastructure platform for large-scale data centres.
The system combines EPYC processors, Instinct accelerators and high-performance networking technology.
Through this offering, AMD aims to compete in the market for large-scale artificial intelligence systems, where NVIDIA maintains a leading position.
The strategy focuses on delivering complete infrastructure solutions for technology companies and cloud service providers.
Intel Faces Production Challenges
Intel is dealing with manufacturing difficulties affecting its operations.
During October, an incident at its Fab 28 facility in Israel forced a temporary interruption of certain production activities.
According to the company’s estimates, the disruption could reduce fourth-quarter revenue by approximately $300 million.
The impact is expected to affect primarily server products manufactured using 10-nanometre technology.
The incident adds to the commercial challenges Intel faces across several market segments.
Memory Shortages Affect the PC Market
Both companies are also facing difficult conditions in the personal computer market.
According to figures cited from IDC, worldwide PC shipments declined by 20.1% during the third quarter of 2026.
The contraction was linked to component availability problems and rising memory prices.
Intel expects PC unit shipments to decline by approximately 10% during 2027.
AMD also anticipates a double-digit contraction in global PC shipments next year.
Final Results Expected in 2027
Although the forecasts suggest that AMD could overtake Intel, the revenue shift has not yet occurred.
The comparison concerns quarterly revenue rather than net profit, production volume or overall market share.
Confirmation will come when both companies publish their fourth-quarter 2026 financial results, expected in early 2027.
Industry Impact and Next Steps
AMD’s potential revenue leadership reflects a major transformation in the technology industry, with artificial intelligence and data centre infrastructure becoming increasingly important.
While the traditional PC market faces difficulties, demand for AI infrastructure continues creating new commercial opportunities.
With projected quarterly revenue of $17 billion and data centre growth of 97%, AMD is approaching a historic milestone that could see it overtake Intel in revenue for the first time.
Edited by: @fonta
