The data-center gold rush is speeding up, not settling down. AI servers are fast becoming the spine of the modern internet — and Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) is setting the tempo while hyperscalers scramble to keep up. Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) aren't in the driver's seat, but they're very much part of the convoy.
As I/O Fund’s CEO and Chief Investment Strategist Beth Kindig puts it, Nvidia's GB300 is emerging as the "main driver" of the next phase of AI infrastructure — a neat shorthand for what now looks less like a cycle and more like a structural reset in computing.
Inside The 2026 AI Server Boom
AI server shipments are on track to rise more than 28% in 2026, accelerating from about 24% growth last year, based on TrendForce estimates. That acceleration is the signal: the market isn't pausing after the first wave of AI spend — it's doubling down.
At the same time, overall global server shipments are expected to grow only about 12.8%. The contrast says it all. Traditional compute is steady. AI compute is sprinting. The buildout is getting deeper, denser, and more specialized.
GPUs are set to command roughly 70% of AI server shipments, with Nvidia's GB300 shaping up as the workhorse of this cycle. Still, this is not a one-company story.
Who Benefits Beyond Nvidia's GB300?
AMD's VR200 platforms are expected to gain traction in the second half of the year as cloud giants seek more flexibility for inference-heavy workloads.
Meanwhile, Broadcom is positioned to benefit as hyperscalers demand faster interconnects, custom silicon, and high-speed networking to stitch together sprawling AI clusters.
Why Google And Meta Are Betting On ASIC Chips
A subtler trend is unfolding in parallel.
ASIC-based AI servers are projected to approach 28% of shipments — the highest share in years — as Alphabet Inc‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google and Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) scale up their own chips for inference.
That doesn't threaten Nvidia today, but it shows how cloud players are hedging: Nvidia for training, in-house silicon for everyday AI.
What Investors Should Watch In 2026
Nvidia lights the match. Hyperscalers pour on the fuel. Broadcom and AMD ride shotgun.
If this trajectory holds, 2026 won't just be another capex year — it will rank among the most capital-intensive chapters in data-center history, powered by AI and rewriting the plumbing of the internet itself.
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