While the spotlight of the graphics processing unit industry often shines on the high-performance discrete cards used for gaming and AI, the largest segment by sheer unit volume is the often-overlooked market for integrated GPUs (iGPUs). A market analysis of the graphic processing unit market reveals that iGPUs, which are graphics processors built directly into the same chip as the main central processing unit (CPU), are shipped in the vast majority of personal computers worldwide. Key points related to the graphic processing unit market highlight that an iGPU is not a separate component but a part of the CPU. The key players in this segment are therefore the major CPU manufacturers, Intel and AMD, who have a duopoly on the x86 CPU market where iGPUs are most common. Their strategy is to provide a single-chip solution that can handle all the basic computing and graphics needs for mainstream laptops and desktops. The future in the graphic processing unit market for iGPUs is focused on dramatically improving their performance and efficiency to address a wider range of use cases. This is a massive global market, with hundreds of millions of units shipped annually into the consumer and commercial PC markets of North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and the MEA.
The primary value proposition of integrated GPUs, a key point for their market dominance in volume, is their low cost, low power consumption, and small physical footprint. By integrating the graphics capabilities onto the CPU die, key players like Intel and AMD can provide a cost-effective, all-in-one solution that is ideal for thin-and-light laptops, office desktops, and other devices where high-end graphics performance is not a primary requirement. For most everyday computing tasks—such as web browsing, video playback, and productivity applications—the performance of a modern iGPU is more than sufficient. The future of iGPUs, however, is being driven by significant performance improvements that are starting to challenge the low-end discrete GPU market. Key players like AMD, with its RDNA-based iGPUs, and particularly Apple, with the powerful integrated graphics in its M-series chips, have demonstrated that iGPUs can now handle casual gaming and light content creation tasks with surprising competence. The graphic processing unit market size is projected to grow USD 170.45 Billion by 2035, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.99% during the forecast period 2025-2035. While the revenue contribution of each iGPU is small, their immense volume makes them a fundamental part of this overall market value.
The future in the graphic processing unit market will see the role of the iGPU continue to expand, a key point for the future of mainstream computing. As the performance of iGPUs continues to improve, the need for a low-end discrete GPU for a basic laptop will diminish, potentially shrinking that segment of the market. The future will also see iGPUs play a more significant role in accelerating AI inference tasks on client devices. Key players Intel and AMD are both integrating dedicated AI engines, or Neural Processing Units (NPUs), alongside the CPU and iGPU cores on their chips. This "heterogeneous computing" architecture allows the system to use the most efficient processor for a given task, with the iGPU handling parallelizable AI workloads. This trend is global, as the demand for on-device AI capabilities is growing in all regions. The continued improvement of iGPUs is crucial for delivering better user experiences on the hundreds of millions of mainstream PCs sold each year in North America, Europe, APAC, and beyond.
In summary, the key points of the integrated graphics market highlight its position as the high-volume foundation of the GPU industry, even if it is not the primary driver of revenue. The market is controlled by the CPU key players, Intel and AMD, with Apple emerging as a major innovator in this space. The future in the graphic processing unit market for iGPUs is one of continuously improving performance, which is enabling them to address a wider range of tasks and challenging the low-end discrete card market. This is a truly global segment, as the iGPU is the default graphics solution for the vast majority of computer users in every region of the world, from North America and Europe to APAC, South America, and the MEA, making it a cornerstone of personal computing.
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