Server revenue up slightly in Q3, but AMD, Arm systems surge, according to IDC

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Server revenue was up slightly in the third quarter as Arm-based servers and AMD CPUs drove growth along with China, according to IDC.

IDC reported that the global server revenue was up 2.2% from a year ago to $22.6 billion. Shipments declined 0.2% in the third quarter from a year ago.

What's notable about IDC's data is the moving parts in the market. Consider:

• Volume server revenue was up 5.8% to $19 billion.
• Midrange server revenue fell 13.9% to $2.6 billion.
• High-end servers fell 12.6% to $937 million.
• Server revenue in China jumped 14.2%.
• Global revenue for servers running on AMD were up 112.4% from a year ago.
• Arm-based servers grew revenue 430.5% from a "very small base of revenue." Also: Arm processors: Everything you need to know

By vendor, Dell and HPE/H3C were tied for No. 1. Huawei had the most growth in the third quarter followed by Lenovo and white box manufacturers.

Add it up and the server data indicates hyperscalers are buying servers. For instance, unit shipments are dominated by white box manufacturers and nearly double Dell's units.