Intel and AMD see server CPU demand surge as AI agents drive market growth

Benchmark tests released in June 2026 show Intel’s Core 3 (Wildcat Lake) processor scoring 11,543 points in PassMark’s CPU Mark, just 2.2 % below Apple’s A18 Pro (11,804 points). The gap widens in single‑thread performance, where Intel trails by about 7.7 %. Analysts say the tight multi‑core results tighten competition in the sub‑600‑euro laptop segment, where Windows devices with more RAM now challenge Apple’s budget MacBook Neo.

At the same time, the server‑CPU market is booming, spurred by rapid adoption of agent‑AI workloads. Arm’s newly announced AGI CPU is projected to receive $20 billion in orders for FY 2027‑28 and $160 billion by 2031, while NVIDIA’s Vera CPU is expected to generate $20 billion in sales this year with a total addressable market of $200 billion. Intel and AMD have both reported sharp revenue and profit gains in 2026 after a 2025 slowdown caused by U.S. export restrictions to China. Intel’s Xeon Scalable line is forecast to approach $200 billion annually, and AMD’s EPYC‑based server sales are rising sharply, narrowing the gap with Intel.