AMD surpasses Nvidia, but for how long will this advantage continue?

      While both AMD and Nvidia produce some of the top graphics cards, comparing the two typically shows that Nvidia holds a commanding lead in the GPU market with over 80% market share. However, a recent survey indicated that, at least in the past few weeks, many gamers have shown a preference for AMD when purchasing a GPU. But how long will this unexpected advantage last?

      According to a ComputerBase survey, which was shared by 3DCenter, there is a notable disparity in market share between AMD's RDNA4 and Nvidia's Blackwell. AMD has managed to ship twice as many RX9000 cards in a single week compared to Nvidia's RTX50 cards since late January. The survey revealed that 71% of ComputerBase readers opted for an AMD RX 9000 series GPU instead of Nvidia's RTX 50 series, with the remainder choosing to buy older GPUs to take advantage of declining prices.

      This significant shift from the usual trend can be attributed to several factors contributing to AMD's sudden dominance in the GPU market.

      Firstly, the survey does not include the recently launched RTX 5070, which could potentially skew the results back in Nvidia's favor (though it may struggle to outshine the RX 9070 XT in this context). Additionally, due to limited availability, the RTX 5070 may not have made the impact it otherwise could have. This leads to the second key point: AMD and its partners successfully delivered the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 to retailers promptly for launch, something Nvidia did not accomplish.

      The availability, or lack thereof, has likely played a significant role in influencing these numbers. Typically, many consumers default to Nvidia products regardless of AMD's offerings. However, when Nvidia's GPUs launch without adequate stock, gamers tend to look elsewhere, as reflected in the ComputerBase survey results. It's important to note that some enthusiast platforms may lean favorably toward Team Red over Team Green, so these findings should be interpreted with caution.

      AMD also surprised many by keeping GPU prices reasonable, making them an appealing alternative to Nvidia's offerings. However, some models are still priced up to $250 above the MSRP, and certain retailers are predicting further price increases.

      Meanwhile, Nvidia is gradually increasing the availability of its graphics cards. Many remain difficult to find, and even when they are available, they are often priced higher than they should be. As the market stabilizes, we may see Nvidia regain its competitive edge, as has historically been the case.