A laptop GPU now leads the Valve Steam survey, AMD CPUs reach all-time high

[midian182]

What just happened? It's a case of another month, another new top GPU on Valve's Steam survey results. For the first time in over three years, the most popular product among participants is a laptop GPU, which replaces the RTX 3060 as leader. April also saw two more RTX 5000 cards enter the main GPU chart, and AMD once again reach a record CPU share.

The RTX 4060 laptop GPU has been steadily gaining ground over the last few months in the Steam survey's GPU chart. It experienced the largest increase in users in April, up 0.51%, pushing the mobile Lovelace chip to the top spot with a 4.99% overall share. It's the first laptop GPU to hold the number one position since the RTX 3060 laptop briefly took the top spot in February 2022.

The only other cards in the top 13 that saw gains were the RTX 4060 Ti, RTX 3050, and RTX 3060 laptop GPU.

Most popular GPUs among Steam survey participants in April

The month's top performers include the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, which have joined the RTX 5080 as the chart's current Blackwell cards. AMD will also be pleased to see that the Radeon RX 7800 XT has finally gained enough users to warrant an entry, one year and seven months after its release. Still no sign of the RX 7800 XTX or the RX 9070 series though.

Top performing GPUs among Steam survey participants in April

One area where AMD can truly celebrate is the CPU section. For years, Team Red has been chipping away at Intel's once-dominant lead.

Thanks to AMD processors such as the Ryzen 9800X3D being incredibly popular among gamers and the disappointment of Intel's latest Core Ultra series, Lisa Su's firm has reached its highest-ever user share in the Steam survey's CPU section: 38.68%. Expect four out of every ten users to be on Team Red's side soon enough.

Moving on to the operating system chart, it appears that Windows 10's impending November 11 end-of-support date is having a notable effect. Survey participants have grimly held on to the previous-gen OS for a long time, but its user base continues to slip every month as Windows 11's numbers grow. The older Windows now has a 38% share, while the newest version has reached almost 58%.

This trend isn't just happening on Steam. Statcounter's figures show that there is less than a 10% share now separating the two versions as Windows 11 keeps making gains while Windows 10 declines.

Something else that could change this year is the most popular amount of system RAM in users' machines. 16GB is becoming less popular all the time, having fallen to 43.8%, as more people turn to 32GB, which is now at 33.5%.

Wrapping things up, English remains the top language despite falling slightly as Simplified Chinese jumped 2% in April. The Oculus Quest 2 is the most popular VR headset, though the Meta Quest 3 is only 5% behind it. And 1080p is still the most popular monitor resolution by far, used by over 55% of participants.

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A laptop GPU now leads the Valve Steam survey, AMD CPUs reach all-time high

 

[HardReset]

AMD GPU has higher market share than any Nvidia 5000 series GPU. Probably most of latter ones have cable problems.

 

[yRaz]

AMD GPU has higher market share than any Nvidia 5000 series GPU. Probably most of latter ones have cable problems.

APUs are popular for gaming in poorer countries. If the price of GPUs keeps rising then they might become popular in the first world for entry level gaming

 

[Squid Surprise]

AMD GPU has higher market share than any Nvidia 5000 series GPU. Probably most of latter ones have cable problems.

I suspect this is due to the supply issues - not the burnt cables…

 

[HardReset]

APUs are popular for gaming in poorer countries. If the price of GPUs keeps rising then they might become popular in the first world for entry level gaming

Yeah and AMD discrete share get even lower because of that.

 

[yRaz]

Yeah and AMD discrete share get even lower because of that.

fairly certain that their APUs are classified under "AMD Radeon graphics". They're actually pretty solid if you're in a bind are a few pay checks away from a new GPU. Actually kinda mad how they're handling their APU's, they should be putting the max CUs they can on everyone, not gating keeping the good ones. You end up paying $700 for a CPU with an iGPU that's barely slower than a 3060. They need to be putting 890M's on every 6core CPU they have. That's a pretty solid pairing, gets you in the eco system and it makes sense from matching hardware. People aren't puting 9800X3D's with 3060's. I'm sure there are people out there determined to do it, but it's not happening.

It really feels like everyone is trying to kill off the "midranged" market despite it taking up like 90% of the market. I seriously think they believe that if they stop selling midranged products that the whole market will just accept it and buy high end gear.

 

[mbk34]

They need to be putting 890M's on every 6core CPU they have.

That would be really nice but I suspect the thermals might be a problem. Laptop CPUs run slower so generate less heat so they can probably deal the extra heat generated by an 890M. Desktop CPUs tend to run as fast as they can and generate a moderate amount of heat doing that. Adding the 890M would probably cause throttling on the CPU.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

That would be really nice but I suspect the thermals might be a problem. Laptop CPUs run slower so generate less heat so they can probably deal the extra heat generated by an 890M. Desktop CPUs tend to run as fast as they can and generate a moderate amount of heat doing that. Adding the 890M would probably cause throttling on the CPU.

AMD desktop CPUS use less power then intel mobile CPUs. Eliminating that heat wouldnt be a problem. Even basic desktop cooling solutions are far more capable then power laptop cooling systems through sheer mass and airflow.

The reason they dont is simple: they want you to buy a desktop GPU. Few people are going to pay laptop money for a desktop with no dGPU, so unless they have a buildup of inventory you'll never see the big APU on a desktop system.

 

[yRaz]

That would be really nice but I suspect the thermals might be a problem. Laptop CPUs run slower so generate less heat so they can probably deal the extra heat generated by an 890M. Desktop CPUs tend to run as fast as they can and generate a moderate amount of heat doing that. Adding the 890M would probably cause throttling on the CPU.

the 890m is their highest teir iGPU so it's being paired with 16 core parts that use MORE power than a 6 or 8 core part. If anything, putting the 890M on a 6 or 8 core part instead of only on their 16 core parts would DECREASE thermals.

The 6 and 8 core APUs have such weak iGPUs that gaming on them is kinda of stupid. AMD doesn't have a low end GPU right now, APUs would be a great answer for that. An 8core CPU with an 890M would be a great part to get your foot in the gaming door as you save up for a few more months(or just wait for parts to become available). Then the Flip side to that is people looking at 16core mobile CPUs aren't going to want to settle for something like an 890M, they're likely going to get a dedicated GPU in their laptop. They're going to want 5090M's

The gating keeping of the 890M to just high end parts doesn't make sense from the low end or the high end.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I really thought Chiplets were going to make the APU a functional format for the low-end, AMD could pair any combination of CPU with a small and performant GPU die (keeping yields and costs for both very low) but instead we have monolithic Strix Halo going into $2000 Ultrabooks while the standard iGPU is 2CUs and basically useless for anthing outside of showing a desktop.

Give us an entry level 6/12 CPU + 24 CU iGPU combo for $300 AMD.

It would be a fantastic gateway into gaming/computer stuff AMD, especially in this market.

 

[HardReset]

fairly certain that their APUs are classified under "AMD Radeon graphics". They're actually pretty solid if you're in a bind are a few pay checks away from a new GPU. Actually kinda mad how they're handling their APU's, they should be putting the max CUs they can on everyone, not gating keeping the good ones. You end up paying $700 for a CPU with an iGPU that's barely slower than a 3060. They need to be putting 890M's on every 6core CPU they have. That's a pretty solid pairing, gets you in the eco system and it makes sense from matching hardware. People aren't puting 9800X3D's with 3060's. I'm sure there are people out there determined to do it, but it's not happening.

It really feels like everyone is trying to kill off the "midranged" market despite it taking up like 90% of the market. I seriously think they believe that if they stop selling midranged products that the whole market will just accept it and buy high end gear.

Yes, APUs go under AMD Radeon graphics. Or then not. Radeon(TM) graphics is probably (at least that's what AMD drivers report for me) integrated GPU on Ryzen CPUs. Those 2CU so called "APU"s are pretty trash for gaming. Just meant for basic use but still.

Problem with APUs is memory bandwidth. There is "solution" of course: add LPDDR5/HMB. Works on laptops but desktops? It's not impossible but hard to combine integrated memory on CPU AND at same time allow to use memory modules to expand memory. Easier to just make GPU and let those who want to buy discrete GPU.

 

[yRaz]

Yes, APUs go under AMD Radeon graphics. Or then not. Radeon(TM) graphics is probably (at least that's what AMD drivers report for me) integrated GPU on Ryzen CPUs. Those 2CU so called "APU"s are pretty trash for gaming. Just meant for basic use but still.

Problem with APUs is memory bandwidth. There is "solution" of course: add LPDDR5/HMB. Works on laptops but desktops? It's not impossible but hard to combine integrated memory on CPU AND at same time allow to use memory modules to expand memory. Easier to just make GPU and let those who want to buy discrete GPU.

It's less of an issue than you'd expect it to be, especially if you manage your expetations. We're talking things that are faster than steam decks and ROG allys and the new AI 9 with the 8060S APU is going to have basically 4060 level of performance. The IO dies are also supposed to be improved so the memory speed limit that AMD has is, allegedly, fixed. I hate LPDDR5 because it's soldered on and I don't know how they would attach HBM to these chips. I don't think they physically have enough pins to properly use HBM.

The memory problem is a problem, but not an impossible one to fix. If you can get an 8000MT kit of DDR5 running on a desktop APU then I don't think you would have a problem. IIRC, in dual channel mode the DDR5 modules have 128bit bus width which is fine for low end graphics.

But the point that I'm really trying to drive home is that the powerful APUs need to be paired with the lower-end CPUs because people paying $700 for a CPU aren't going to care about the iGPU and considering that these iGPUs are equivalent in power to entry-level parts, a market segment that seemingly no longer exists, they are being paired wrong. Stick an 890m with 8 zen 5 cores in a system with 32GB of LPDDR5 and you're going to have one hell of an entry level system.

I think Asus is going to release something close to that, but it's going to cost like $1500 and no way is that a $1500 gaming experience. You can get systems from minisform with a 7600m XT for $1000.

 

[HardReset]

It's less of an issue than you'd expect it to be, especially if you manage your expetations. We're talking things that are faster than steam decks and ROG allys and the new AI 9 with the 8060S APU is going to have basically 4060 level of performance. The IO dies are also supposed to be improved so the memory speed limit that AMD has is, allegedly, fixed. I hate LPDDR5 because it's soldered on and I don't know how they would attach HBM to these chips. I don't think they physically have enough pins to properly use HBM.

The memory problem is a problem, but not an impossible one to fix. If you can get an 8000MT kit of DDR5 running on a desktop APU then I don't think you would have a problem. IIRC, in dual channel mode the DDR5 modules have 128bit bus width which is fine for low end graphics.

But the point that I'm really trying to drive home is that the powerful APUs need to be paired with the lower-end CPUs because people paying $700 for a CPU aren't going to care about the iGPU and considering that these iGPUs are equivalent in power to entry-level parts, a market segment that seemingly no longer exists, they are being paired wrong. Stick an 890m with 8 zen 5 cores in a system with 32GB of LPDDR5 and you're going to have one hell of an entry level system.

I think Asus is going to release something close to that, but it's going to cost like $1500 and no way is that a $1500 gaming experience. You can get systems from minisform with a 7600m XT for $1000.

Problem is, it barely makes sense to sell those so cheaply you want. GPUs, no matter if integrated or not, take huge die space vs CPU. Also it's not so easy for AMD currently combine many manufacturing techs when it comes to GPUs. Ryzen approach IO die + CPU dies works well for CPU, not so well for GPU.

And even if AMD had ability to combine different manufacturing techs, GPU would still need at least very good class manufacturing tech. Large die using expensive manufacturing tech is, well, expensive. I highly doubt we see cheap and powerful APU solutions soon.

 

[yRaz]

Problem is, it barely makes sense to sell those so cheaply you want. GPUs, no matter if integrated or not, take huge die space vs CPU. Also it's not so easy for AMD currently combine many manufacturing techs when it comes to GPUs. Ryzen approach IO die + CPU dies works well for CPU, not so well for GPU.

And even if AMD had ability to combine different manufacturing techs, GPU would still need at least very good class manufacturing tech. Large die using expensive manufacturing tech is, well, expensive. I highly doubt we see cheap and powerful APU solutions soon.

I agree that we will see a cheap and power APU solution soon, if at all. The problem is that AMD needs to gain market share and the APU in this economy is a pretty darn good answer to that. But I see them put 2X8core CCDs paired with their high end iGPUs in an APU package as stupid. People in the market for 16core/32thread CPUs aren't going to give a rats *** about what iGPU it's carrying, they're looking for a workstation and are probably going to throw in an nVidia GPU in it. The iGPU will do nothing but create driver conflicts and stability issues in that type of system.

But sticking their top teir iGPU in with a single CCD 8core CPU could be great, esspecially in mobile situations where power consumtion trumps CPU performance.

Keeping their top teir iGPUS on their halo CPU's is stupid as they're barely as fast as a 1650. Noone in the market buying a $700 CPU is going to want to pair it with a 1650. They're wasting a pretty big oppurtunity here because many people are looking at the state of the PC market and saying, "those prices are stupid, I'll go find something else to do." Meanwhile, AMD could be playing the underdog card and say "hey, look who was here for you when you were broke and couldn't afford a real GPU" and try to build a loyal base of repeat customers.

AMD needs to be working on gaining market share and building good will with customers. That kid who only has $500 saved to build a gaming machine? Maybe he can buy a MiniPC with a 780 or 890m in it and game on that for awhile and stick a GPU in it later. Heck, for me, I want laptop with something like that in it so I can game in my hotel when I get sent out of town. The other side for me is that battery life is important so a dGPU in a laptop is a pretty big no-no for me when I'm using it for work and not the ~30 hours a year that my laptop gets used for gaming.

 

[manowar51]

AMD GPU has higher market share than any Nvidia 5000 series GPU. Probably most of latter ones have cable problems.

An AMD 7000 series GPU released in September 2023 has a slightly higher share than the Nvidia 5000 series GPUs which have only been available for 2.5 months and has suffered from supply chain issues? Yeah that's a big L for AMD bro...


Really this data tells us that the 5000 series from Nvidia are selling quite well. Certainly, a lot better than any AMD release I can remember from the last decade or more.

 

[HardReset]

I agree that we will see a cheap and power APU solution soon, if at all. The problem is that AMD needs to gain market share and the APU in this economy is a pretty darn good answer to that. But I see them put 2X8core CCDs paired with their high end iGPUs in an APU package as stupid. People in the market for 16core/32thread CPUs aren't going to give a rats *** about what iGPU it's carrying, they're looking for a workstation and are probably going to throw in an nVidia GPU in it. The iGPU will do nothing but create driver conflicts and stability issues in that type of system.

But sticking their top teir iGPU in with a single CCD 8core CPU could be great, esspecially in mobile situations where power consumtion trumps CPU performance.

Keeping their top teir iGPUS on their halo CPU's is stupid as they're barely as fast as a 1650. Noone in the market buying a $700 CPU is going to want to pair it with a 1650. They're wasting a pretty big oppurtunity here because many people are looking at the state of the PC market and saying, "those prices are stupid, I'll go find something else to do." Meanwhile, AMD could be playing the underdog card and say "hey, look who was here for you when you were broke and couldn't afford a real GPU" and try to build a loyal base of repeat customers.

AMD needs to be working on gaining market share and building good will with customers. That kid who only has $500 saved to build a gaming machine? Maybe he can buy a MiniPC with a 780 or 890m in it and game on that for awhile and stick a GPU in it later. Heck, for me, I want laptop with something like that in it so I can game in my hotel when I get sent out of town. The other side for me is that battery life is important so a dGPU in a laptop is a pretty big no-no for me when I'm using it for work and not the ~30 hours a year that my laptop gets used for gaming.

AMD is not stupid. It's still pretty hard to find high end laptop with AMD CPU, since most AMD "high end" laptops are equipped with mid range Nvidia GPU. Manufacturers still have big Nvidia-Intel bias. However Intel bias is slowly fading and since Nvidia has no options on x86 CPUs, it also means that AMD will have stronger and stronger grip on laptop market. Change takes time however.

So far AMD has been fairly consistent on new products: server comes first, then desktop and lastly laptops. Because AMD knows laptop products will sell badly, no matter how good they actually are.

You have good points but in the end, it's business that says what's profitable and what's not. Pretty funny to see laptop paired with APU AND pretty much equally fast discrete Nvidia GPU. Makes sense? On battery life, performance and price, not at all. Still it's done.

An AMD 7000 series GPU released in September 2023 has a slightly higher share than the Nvidia 5000 series GPUs which have only been available for 2.5 months and has suffered from supply chain issues? Yeah that's a big L for AMD bro...


Really this data tells us that the 5000 series from Nvidia are selling quite well. Certainly, a lot better than any AMD release I can remember from the last decade or more.

This is why Techspot should stop posting news about this stupid survey. See, Steam survey has Never been about sales. For last 15 years Intel has had more GPU sales than Nvidia and AMD combined. Steam survey says otherwise. Keep dreaming on Steam survey telling something about Sales ""

 

[GoldenGoat]

I have a laptop with a 3060, but I didn’t turn it on the day of the survey, so it didn’t get counted this month. I was on desktop, so its video card did get counted this time.

 

[Prrredictable]

I have a laptop with a 3060, but I didn’t turn it on the day of the survey, so it didn’t get counted this month. I was on desktop, so its video card did get counted this time.

Probabilities,statistics and margins of error account for that.

 

[Shirley Dulcey]

Actually kinda mad how they're handling their APU's, they should be putting the max CUs they can on everyone, not gating keeping the good ones. You end up paying $700 for a CPU with an iGPU that's barely slower than a 3060. They need to be putting 890M's on every 6core CPU they have.

That could be a yield issue. If they only have a few AI 300 processors where all 16 CUs work and meet the required power envelope, the supply of those parts is going to be limited and prices will stay high. If the price delta for the next step down (the AI 365) with 12 CUs and 10 cores is reasonable, that's a part that will make a lot of people happy; that matches the 12 CU maximum of the previous generation while also offering the performance improvements of RDNA 3.5.

The AI Max 300 chips (aka Strix Halo) have the same issue. Supplies of the 40 CU AI Max+ 395 parts are likely to be tight, but if AMD can deliver the AI Max 390 (12 cores, 32 CUs) at a reasonable price it will satisfy a lot of customers.

 

[Shirley Dulcey]

This is why Techspot should stop posting news about this stupid survey. See, Steam survey has Never been about sales. For last 15 years Intel has had more GPU sales than Nvidia and AMD combined. Steam survey says otherwise. Keep dreaming on Steam survey telling something about Sales ""

The Steam survey says something about sales TO GAMERS, because it reflects actual use of the hardware to run Steam. That's what it's meant to show, not sales to the general market.

 

[HardReset]

The Steam survey says something about sales TO GAMERS, because it reflects actual use of the hardware to run Steam. That's what it's meant to show, not sales to the general market.

No, it does not. Single Nvidia card could "appear" on Steam survey countless times. I would not be surprised if Nvidia really has bot farm to make themself look good on Steam survey.

Generally, because Steam survey can count single computer part multiple times, Steam survey is NOT about sales.

 

[Squid Surprise]

No, it does not. Single Nvidia card could "appear" on Steam survey countless times. I would not be surprised if Nvidia really has bot farm to make themself look good on Steam survey.

Generally, because Steam survey can count single computer part multiple times, Steam survey is NOT about sales.

Why would a single Nvidia card show up multiple times but a single AMD card only show up once?!?

 

[HardReset]

Why would a single Nvidia card show up multiple times but a single AMD card only show up once?!?

Because Steam survey is about accounts, not computers.

I have multiple Steam accounts just to participate Steam survey with same hardware. Not that those accounts have ever played any games, they don't even have one installed. So easy. Also Steam survey "randomness" have been proven "interesting" many times, many regular users have not been asked to participate in 10 years or so.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Because Steam survey is about accounts, not computers.

I have multiple Steam accounts just to participate Steam survey with same hardware. Not that those accounts have ever played any games, they don't even have one installed. So easy. Also Steam survey "randomness" have been proven "interesting" many times, many regular users have not been asked to participate in 10 years or so.

Yes, but why would nvidia benefit from this more than AMD?

You DO understand how statistics work, right?

 

[HardReset]

Yes, but why would nvidia benefit from this more than AMD?

You DO understand how statistics work, right?

Like said, multiple possible reasons. Perhaps most computers that have multiple users have more Nvidia GPU. Or software bug on Steam software. Or...

If (or should I say because) Steam survey does not randomly pick participants, then whole statistic dissussion is totally irrelevant.

In any case, claiming Steam survey = Sales is totally wrong.