CPUs with Built-In Graphics Account for Half of All Sales in 2011

It is already obvious that CPUs with integrated graphics are getting more and more popular, but just how much might not be exactly apparent, so iSuppli figured it would make a forecast about how big a share such units will have of the worldwide central processor market in 2011.

Nowadays, both Intel and Advanced Micro Devices deal in central processing units with integrated graphics circuits.

The former has had Core series units of this sort on sale since quite a while before the latter even brought out its Fusion APUs (accelerated processing units).

On the other hand, AMD's units are much better at the graphics part than Intel's chips and, though currently restricted to nebtooks and ultraportable notebooks, will soon be joined by mainstream laptop and desktop models.

What's more, technologies that can automatically have the OS switch between the integrated and a discrete GPU (if present) will likely encourage sales.

As such, it is expected that quite a solid amount of this sort of processors will be shipped this year, and iSuppli claims to have a general idea of how many.

Basically, about half of all CPUs sold in 2011 are expected to be of the GEM (Graphics-Enabled Microprocessor) variety, as far as notebooks go at least, although desktop chips won't be far behind, with 45% share.

“GEMs are microprocessors that feature a central processing unit (CPU) as well as a graphics processing unit in a single-chip design, supplementing the brains of a PC with more graphics capability to run visually intensive applications,” said Peter Lin, principal analyst for compute platforms at IHS.

“With GEMs capable of generating the total graphic output of a PC, no additional graphics processor or add-in graphics card is needed. Computers today are serving up ever-richer multimedia experiences, so the graphics capabilities of PCs have become more important, driving the rising penetration of GEMs.”

The 50% and 45% shares are expected to become 83 and 76 percent, respectively, by 2014.