According to the 2014 edition of IC Insights' IC Market Drivers—A Study of Emerging and Major End-Use Applications Fueling Demand for Integrated Circuits. A new record high is forecast to be set in 2016, when sales reach $88.0 billion. Between 2012 and 2017, personal computing IC sales are projected to rise by a CAGR of 2.7 percent, totaling $85.0 billion in the final year of the forecast.

Personal computing systems—standard PCs, tablets, and Internet/cloud-computing laptops—are forecast to remain the largest market for ICs with $77.7 billion (27 percent) of integrated circuit sales expected from these systems in 2014. When all computer systems are considered (e.g., mainframes, supercomputers, servers, printers, monitors, and other peripherals as well as personal computing products), 36 percent of all dollars spent on ICs is forecast to be for computer equipment in 2014, according the IC Market Drivers report.

In the last three years (2011-2013), personal computing system IC sales were pulled down by declines in integrated circuit purchases for standard desktop and notebook PCs. After surging 27 percent in the 2010 recovery year, PC IC sales slid 8 percent in 2011 to $71.0 billion, followed by an 11 percent drop in 2012 to $63.3 billion. In 2013, PC IC sales dropped 8 percent to $58.1 billion. PC integrated circuit sales are expected to rise 3 percent in 2014 to $59.6 billion. In the 2012-2017 period, PC IC sales are projected to fall by a CAGR of 0.4 percent to $62.1 billion in the final year of the forecast.

Meanwhile, tablet integrated circuit sales increased 37 percent in 2013 to $14.7 billion from $10.7 billion in 2012, when revenues surged 73 percent from $6.2 billion in 2011. IC Insights is forecasting a 20 percent increase in tablet integrated circuit sales in 2014 to $17.6 billion, followed by 10 percent growth in 2015 to $19.5 billion. Between 2012 and 2017, tablet IC sales are expected to grow by a CAGR of 15.3 percent to $21.8 billion in the final year of the forecast.

The Internet/cloud systems segment is expected to generate $558 million in IC sales in 2014, which will be a 37 percent increase from about $408 million in 2013. IC sales for Internet/cloud computing systems are projected to grow by a CAGR of 28.7 percent in the forecast period, reaching $1.1 billion in 2017.