Intel It just took another financial blow as the gaming CPU maker’s credit rating with Fitch Ratings was downgraded. The US credit agency, one of three rating organizations recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, says Intel’s “rating outlook is negative,” with competition from weak credit metrics, an unclear AI strategy, challenging demand and AMD cited as a factor.
After downgrading Intel from a BBB+ rating to BBB, Fitch noted that “Intel is facing stronger competition from advanced micro devices” on PCs, while also pointing out that “high-end micro devices have eroded market share. Our best gaming CPU buying guide is currently dominated by AMD chips, as we found in the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K review, as the latest Intel CPUs are actually slower than the previous chips in the game.
As we saw in a recent Steam survey, gamers’ Intel CPU market share has fallen from 76.84% to 60.27% over the past five years, and Intel is still the dominant company, but that’s a surprising decline. However, gaming is only a part of Intel’s chip business, and Fitch notes that Intel maintains “a strong market position for PCs and traditional enterprise servers” and is bolstering the company’s credit profile.
Fitch says Intel needs to offer “solid execution on product and manufacturing technology roadmap” to increase PC shipments and improve its position, but will significantly reduce its debt. The credit rating agency acknowledges that the current volatility of trade with the US from tariffs increases market uncertainty, but “the main concern is the impact on marginal demand, not the ability of chipmakers to pass tariffs.
Another area that comes for scrutiny is AI, and Fitch said, “Intel’s AI strategy remains unknown and relies on a system and software approach. The company’s latest Arrow Lake CPU actually has a neural processing unit (NPU), but it’s particularly insufficient compared to the NPU found on the latest AMD AI laptop chip. For example, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 NPU can handle up to 50 tops, with 30 tops added from the integrated GPU. In comparison, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K NPU peaks at 13 tops, with 36 tops overall from the chip.
Intel appears to need to be a lean average fighter in a short time if they want to recoup their credit rating, but new products will ensure they fully offer their products at good times, both in terms of technology, functionality and performance. If rumors about the new Intel 3D V-Cache equivalent technology are true, it looks potentially good for gamers.
In the meantime, if you’re thinking about upgrading your rig, check out our guide to buying the best gaming motherboards. Meanwhile, in our best gaming PC guide, you can find all your favorite desktop machines that you can buy now.
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