Intel's hold on the microprocessor market reached a four-year high in the second quarter, accounting for 80.6% of worldwide microprocessor revenue. This is up 1.4% from 79.2% in the year-ago quarter, and 1.5% from the first quarter. Intel's cut of the market hasn't been this large since it claimed 82.4% share in the third quarter of 2005.

According to research firm iSuppli, Intel benefited from the PC market's 1% growth during the second quarter. Overall, however, PC shipments are still down for 2009 and the Santa Clara-based chip-maker experienced a decline in microprocessor revenue from a year ago -- as did its chief competitor, AMD, which held about 11.5% in the second quarter, down from 12.8% in the first and .04% last year.

Strong demand for Intel's new-generation products spanned all segments, including desktops, notebooks and servers. That said, only the notebook sector actually grew year-over-year, while PC and server shipments fell.