At CES 2026, it was revealed that the high-profile collaboration between NVIDIA and Intel is primarily aimed at dominating the enterprise AI server market, rather than benefiting PC gamers. Analysts, including Dr. Ian Cutress, warn that this focus may depress the consumer PC market throughout 2026.
The partnership addresses data center demand for x86-based CPUs, as most enterprise software and databases rely on Intel’s architecture. Although NVIDIA has pushed ARM-based chips, it opted to integrate its high-performance GPUs with Intel x86 CPUs via NVLink, targeting large-scale AI workloads.
For gamers, the consequences are significant:
- Component shortages: Manufacturers are prioritizing High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI servers, reducing production for PC RAM and SSDs.
- Rising prices: Limited supply and rising production costs for consumer hardware are driving prices higher.
- Delayed gaming-focused products: Initiatives like DGX Spark, which could have been adapted for gaming, face delays and are now designed for enterprise AI workloads instead.
Even though NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has reassured the gaming community, financial incentives clearly favor AI development over affordable gaming GPUs.
Analysts predict that PC shipments in 2026 could drop nearly 10%, as the consumer market struggles with higher prices and limited availability. Gamers may need to revisit their existing library of games to make the most of hardware they already own until the market balances out.
Source: Respawn
