Jon Peddie Research Shows Q4 Nvidia Boost

Jon Peddie Research, a consulting firm for graphics and multimedia hardware companies, has revealed its estimates for the relative success of each graphics card company currently in the market. The company's results are based on estimates of market share for the calendar year of 2005, rather than individual companies' fiscal years. According to Peddie Research, with a winning streak fueled by good products and ATI’s manufacturing problems, Nvidia soared ahead in Q4 2005 to grab 52% of the standalone PC graphics card market. In addition, VIA leapt ahead 50% in the integrated graphics card space to pick up 24% of the market, while Intel slid from 61% to 50% in the same period for integrated graphics cards. The total PC desktop market for graphics cards, both discrete and integrated, is currently led by Intel with 32% of the share, down somewhat from 2004's 37%. ATI has maintained its share of 24% through both years, and its closest rival Nvidia is closing the gap by improving its share from 22% to 23%. Lesser-known manufacturers such as VIA/S3 and SiS claimed 15% and 6%, respectively, with all other graphics card companies making up less than 1% of the total. Peddie's research into the mobile graphics card area revealed ATI leading slightly over Nvidia, with Intel and VIA in third and fourth place. Not mentioned was the console graphics card market, where Nvidia and ATI will battle during the next-generation console wars: ATI's graphics chips will power both Nintendo's system, codenamed Revolution, as well as the already-released Xbox 360, while Nvidia's graphics processors will be found in Sony's PlayStation 3, expected to be released late in 2006.