Steam Hardware Survey: Shift in Graphics Cards, CPU Dominance, and Operating System Trends

Summary:

• RTX 4060 leads in graphics card market share, while AMD’s offerings lag behind.
• AMD reaches a record-high CPU market share, signaling a potential shift in gamer preferences.
• Windows 11’s adoption surges as support for Windows 10 phases out.

Steam’s latest hardware survey, released on October 4, provides crucial insights into the evolving landscape of gaming hardware—with notable changes in graphics cards, CPUs, and operating systems.

Graphics Card Market Trends

The mobile version of the RTX 4060 currently holds the top position in the graphics card segment, boasting a market share of 4.84%. Meanwhile, the RTX 5060 is on an upward trajectory, indicating it may soon rival the RTX 4060 in popularity. However, analysts suggest that a significant market takeover will require more time.

NVIDIA’s freshly launched RTX 50 series is gaining traction among gamers. The RTX 5070 has emerged as the most favored model within this series, capturing a market share of 1.69%. Following closely behind is the RTX 5060, which has a market presence of 1.13%. Notably, the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5060 Ti are also performing well, with market shares of 0.91% and 0.89%, respectively.

In contrast, AMD’s performance in the graphics card arena appears uneven. Its top-ranked Radeon RX 6600 sits at a modest 29th place, while the much-anticipated RX 9000 series has failed to secure any position in the rankings as of yet.

Memory Capacity Shifts

The market dynamics surrounding graphics memory are also evolving. The share of 8GB graphics cards is experiencing a gradual decline, with their market share dropping by 1.37% over the past month to 33.66%. Although 8GB configurations remain the most commonly used, this decline suggests a shift in gamer preferences.

Conversely, the market share for 16GB graphics cards is on the rise, having increased by 0.72% last month to reach 7.52%. This trend indicates that gamers are increasingly opting for higher memory capacities to accommodate the demands of more complex and higher-resolution games.

CPU Market Developments

AMD has made impressive strides in the CPU sector, achieving a record market share of 41.3% in September, positioning itself competitively against Intel, which has seen its share decrease to 58%. If this growth trend continues, AMD processors may soon surpass Intel in Steam user adoption within the next year.

Additionally, the segment for 8-core CPUs is steadily expanding, now making up 25.28% of the market—a 0.87% increase since August. On the other hand, 6-core CPUs have dropped below the 30% threshold for the first time, indicating a significant shift towards more powerful processors among gamers.

Operating System Trends

With Microsoft ceasing official support for Windows 10 on October 14, the transition to Windows 11 is becoming increasingly apparent. By September, Windows 11 achieved a market share of 66.08%, representing a growth of 2.90% from the previous month.

This transition demonstrates a clear preference among users for the latest operating environment, likely motivated by the desire for improved performance and support for new gaming technologies.

Conclusion

The latest Steam hardware survey reveals significant trends in the gaming hardware sector, particularly in graphics cards and CPU market shares. As gamers seek more robust and capable setups, trends indicate a growing preference for higher memory capacities and advancements in processing power. With the ongoing evolution in operating systems, the shift to Windows 11 marks a crucial transition for the gaming community, underscoring the need for players to stay current with technological advancements.