Top 20 Computer Hardware Companies by Value (Public + Private) - January 2026
When people think about “computer hardware,” they often think only about PCs or smartphones. In reality, the hardware ecosystem includes chips, memory, manufacturing equipment, networking gear, and full device ecosystems.
This article ranks the largest computer hardware–related companies in the world, combining public companies (by market capitalization) and private companies (by valuation or scale estimates).
Top 20 Public Computer Hardware Companies
1) NVIDIA (United States) — ~$4.6T
What they do: AI and data-center GPUs, accelerated computing platforms, and the CUDA software ecosystem.
Why they’re so big: NVIDIA is the default compute platform for AI training and inference, with a massive software and ecosystem moat.
Hardware focus: GPUs, networking, AI systems.
2) Apple (United States) — ~$4.0T
What they do: Consumer hardware (iPhone, Mac, iPad, wearables) plus custom silicon (A-series and M-series).
Why they’re so big: Vertical integration of devices, chips, operating systems, and services at enormous scale.
Hardware focus: Devices and in-house silicon.
3) TSMC (Taiwan) — ~$1.66T
What they do: Semiconductor foundry manufacturing for the world’s most advanced chips.
Why they’re so big: Leading-edge manufacturing dominance; most top chip designers rely on TSMC.
Hardware focus: Advanced chip manufacturing.
4) Samsung Electronics (South Korea) — ~$640B
What they do: Memory chips, semiconductors, smartphones, displays, and consumer electronics.
Why they’re so big: One of the few companies spanning memory, devices, and components at scale.
Hardware focus: Memory, devices, displays.
5) ASML (Netherlands) — ~$450B
What they do: Lithography machines used to manufacture advanced semiconductors.
Why they’re so big: Advanced chips cannot be produced without ASML’s equipment.
Hardware focus: Semiconductor manufacturing tools.
6) AMD (United States) — ~$365B
What they do: CPUs and GPUs for PCs, servers, and data centers.
Why they’re so big: Strong competitive position in high-performance compute.
Hardware focus: Compute silicon.
7) Micron Technology (United States) — ~$355B
What they do: DRAM and NAND memory.
Why they’re so big: AI servers and modern devices require increasing memory and storage.
Hardware focus: Memory and storage chips.
8) SK hynix (South Korea) — ~$330B
What they do: DRAM and NAND memory, including high-end AI server memory.
Why they’re so big: AI infrastructure dramatically increases memory intensity.
Hardware focus: Advanced memory solutions.
9) Cisco Systems (United States) — ~$300B
What they do: Networking hardware such as switches and routers, plus embedded software.
Why they’re so big: Core infrastructure provider for enterprises and carriers.
Hardware focus: Networking systems.
10) Lam Research (United States) — ~$235B
What they do: Semiconductor manufacturing equipment, especially etching and deposition tools.
Why they’re so big: Advanced chips require more complex manufacturing steps.
Hardware focus: Chip fabrication equipment.
11) Applied Materials (United States) — ~$215B
What they do: Semiconductor manufacturing equipment across multiple fabrication steps.
Why they’re so big: Broad exposure to global semiconductor production.
Hardware focus: Chipmaking tools.
12) Intel (United States) — ~$190B
What they do: CPUs, platforms, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Why they’re so big: Still deeply embedded in PCs, servers, and enterprise infrastructure.
Hardware focus: CPUs and manufacturing infrastructure.
13) Qualcomm (United States) — ~$185B
What they do: Mobile processors, modems, and connectivity silicon.
Why they’re so big: Qualcomm technology is inside a large share of the world’s smartphones.
Hardware focus: Mobile and wireless chips.
14) Arista Networks (United States) — ~$170B
What they do: High-performance data-center networking hardware.
Why they’re so big: AI clusters require faster, low-latency networking.
Hardware focus: Data-center networking.
15) KLA (United States) — ~$168B
What they do: Semiconductor inspection and measurement equipment.
Why they’re so big: Chip complexity makes defect detection critical.
Hardware focus: Chip quality-control tools.
16) Texas Instruments (United States) — ~$160B
What they do: Analog and embedded chips for industrial, automotive, and consumer systems.
Why they’re so big: These chips are everywhere in the physical world.
Hardware focus: Analog and embedded semiconductors.
17) Sony (Japan) — ~$155B
What they do: PlayStation ecosystem, image sensors, consumer electronics, and entertainment.
Why they’re so big: Gaming platforms and imaging sensors create recurring demand.
Hardware focus: Gaming hardware and sensors.
18) Xiaomi (China) — ~$135B
What they do: Smartphones, IoT devices, and ecosystem services.
Why they’re so big: Massive global distribution and device ecosystem.
Hardware focus: Consumer electronics and IoT.
19) Arm Holdings (United Kingdom) — ~$122B
What they do: CPU architecture and IP licensing.
Why they’re so big: Arm designs power most smartphones and an increasing share of laptops and servers.
Hardware focus: Processor architecture.
20) Tokyo Electron (Japan) — ~$108B
What they do: Semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
Why they’re so big: Chip production growth directly benefits equipment suppliers.
Hardware focus: Chip fabrication tools.
Major Private Hardware Companies (No Market Cap)
Huawei (China, private) — estimated ~$100–120B
What they do: Telecom infrastructure, smartphones, enterprise hardware, cloud systems, and automotive technology.
Why they matter: One of the largest hardware and infrastructure companies in the world by revenue and footprint.
DJI (China, private) — estimated ~$15–25B
What they do: Consumer and enterprise drones, imaging systems, stabilization hardware.
Why they matter: Dominates the global drone market and defines the category technologically.
Key takeaway
The largest hardware companies dominate one (or more) of three layers:
Compute and memory platforms
Manufacturing choke points
Global device ecosystems
The real power in computer hardware is not just in products — but in the chips, factories, and tools that make modern computing possible.