Recent data shows a sharp slowdown in CPU sales, with many users choosing older and more affordable options instead of the newer Ryzen 9000 series, which requires expensive DDR5 memory.
It was expected, but new figures confirm a strong drop in PC processor sales, especially in the United States. The decline is likely affecting other markets as well. One of the main reasons is the recent rise in DDR5 memory prices. While market share between AMD and Intel has not changed much, total sales numbers have fallen significantly.
CPU Sales Drop Sharply in the United States
According to data collected by TechEpiphany (thanks TechSpot), Amazon sold around 26,100 CPUs in the United States in January 2026. A year-over-year comparison by 3DCenter shows a 59% drop in combined AMD and Intel CPU sales compared to January 2025.
AMD continues to dominate the market, especially with its X3D lineup, which holds an 88% share. However, AI data centers are currently absorbing large amounts of DRAM, limiting supply for consumers.
The best-selling processor is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which accounts for nearly 20% of all CPUs sold in January. Intel’s share of sales and revenue has dropped to 11%, while AMD holds 17 of the top 20 positions overall. AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology remains popular due to its strong gaming performance.
DDR5 memory prices have increased sharply because AI data centers are using most of the DRAM and NAND production capacity. Since the Ryzen 9000 series requires DDR5, many buyers are instead choosing Ryzen 5000 and 3000 processors that work with more affordable DDR4 memory.
In January 2026, Amazon sold nearly twice as many Ryzen 7 5800X CPUs compared to the previous year. The Ryzen 5 3600, which was not even in the rankings last year, has now returned to the charts. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7 5800XT ranked just behind the 9800X3D on both Amazon US and Mindfactory in Germany.
