Nvidia GPU shipments jump 27 percent in Q2 2025 as buyers rush ahead of tariffs

Desktop graphics shipments in Q2 2025 broke from the usual seasonal pattern, as AIB volumes reached 11.6 million units and desktop CPUs hit 21.7 million units. The quarter outperformed the typical Q2 slowdown. Jon Peddie Research reported an attach rate of 1.54 GPUs per CPU, indicating that system builds and upgrades are happening simultaneously.

Graphics card shipments rose 27 percent quarter-over-quarter, while desktop CPUs increased 21.6 percent, though CPU volumes remained 4.4 percent lower year-over-year. Q2 typically sees a decline, but this quarter exceeded the 10-year average gain of 5.7 percent.

Pricing shifts and supply constraints drove the surge. Midrange and entry-level AIB prices fell, while high-end models became more expensive. Retailers saw rapid sellouts, which is unusual for Q2. JPR notes that buyers accelerated purchases ahead of potential tariffs. Resulting shortages continued into early Q3 2025, with midrange prices stabilizing only recently. These trends point to changing demand and distribution patterns.

Nvidia expanded its AIB market share to roughly 94 percent, up 2.1 points. AMD dropped to about 6 percent, while Intel stayed near zero. In the midrange segment, AMD launched the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 on RDNA 4, while Nvidia released the GeForce RTX 5070. At the high end, Nvidia launched the RTX 5080. Nvidia also announced the RTX 500 workstation card. Rumors point to two new Intel boards, including a dual-GPU model, but these are unconfirmed.

JPR forecasts the AIB market will shrink by about 5.4 percent per year from 2024 to 2028. The installed base is projected to reach 163 million units by 2028, with desktops accounting for nearly 87 percent of that total. The Q2 spike appears to be a short-term effect of tariffs, rather than a sign of a lasting trend.