Server shipments rise despite higher prices as AI buying broadens

Revenue reaches $166.3 billion as shipments rise

The report cites IDC data showing record Q2 server-sector revenue of $166.3 billion and 15.4 percent year-on-year shipment growth. It says GPU-accelerated servers accounted for nearly 53 percent of revenue, while AI-server demand broadened from hyperscalers toward enterprise, government-directed, and specialized cloud deployments.

A year earlier, server vendor revenue and shipment levels were lower; original design manufacturers accounted for more than 60 percent of market revenue.

IDC's figures indicate that server revenue reached a record $166.3 billion in Q2, up 52 percent year on year, while shipments rose 15.4 percent despite higher average selling prices. The buyer base is also described as expanding beyond hyperscalers to enterprises, government-directed deployments, and specialized cloud providers.

The reported growth contrasts with PCs, where higher memory costs were associated with falling unit shipments. It also suggests that AI infrastructure spending is being described as a broader server-market demand base rather than one concentrated solely among hyperscalers.