First Windows PC powered by Nvidia chip set to debut

Anticipation is building across the global IT and semiconductor industry as Asia's largest technology trade show, Computex, prepares to open Tuesday in Taiwan — the heart of the world's semiconductor manufacturing.

Excitement is particularly high over a planned meeting between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on the sidelines of Nvidia's GTC Taipei, which runs concurrently with Computex, raising expectations of deeper cooperation between the two companies.

Beyond that bilateral meeting, encounters between global partners and Korean corporate representatives throughout the Computex and GTC period are drawing intense attention — a reflection of how sharply Korean companies' profile has risen even in Taiwan, the epicenter of the AI revolution and the hub of advanced-process semiconductor production.

The heightened interest is also tied to assessments that the center of gravity in the global AI ecosystem is shifting toward South Korea, which commands strong competitiveness in memory chips and AI infrastructure.

Against that backdrop, Nvidia is expected to unveil plans at the event to enter the PC semiconductor market, drawing further scrutiny.

Organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council and the Taipei Computer Association, Computex 2026 opens Tuesday under the theme "AI Together" — the largest edition on record. The four-day event runs Tuesday through Friday at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei.

Some 1,500 companies from more than 30 countries will set up over 6,000 booths, making it the biggest Computex ever held.

Computex began in 1981 as a showcase for components made by Taiwan's computer manufacturing and assembly companies. In recent years, the explosive growth of AI has elevated Taiwan's standing in the global supply chain, and semiconductor and IT companies from around the world have converged on the show to present AI technology and solutions, transforming it into a marquee global exhibition.

Taiwan is also the birthplace of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and the home base of TSMC, the world's leading contract chipmaker.

This year, Nvidia's annual AI conference GTC Taipei runs as a co-event alongside Computex, drawing Huang and a roster of global tech heavyweights to the Taiwanese capital — among them Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, Marvell CEO Matt Murphy, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Arm CEO Rene Haas.

The hottest ticket during the event is the "Korea Partner Night" that Huang is hosting Monday evening.

The dinner, held at a restaurant in Taipei's Da'an District on Monday evening, will bring together Huang and senior executives from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, LG Electronics, Naver Cloud, Doosan and other major Korean companies. Participants are expected to discuss the full range of industries that have partnered with Nvidia — AI infrastructure, autonomous driving and physical AI — and to strengthen ties.

"South Korea is a key partner nation spanning hardware, software and the entire supply chain within the global AI infrastructure and accelerated computing ecosystem," an Nvidia official said.

The fact that Huang is holding a public event with Korean companies in Taiwan — which he has called the epicenter of the AI revolution — signals a significant rise in the standing of Korean firms.

South Korea had long been narrowly regarded as a "chip maker" or "chip factory" that simply filled memory orders. It is now positioning itself as a core partner driving cooperation across the global AI ecosystem and supply chain.

At the Computex exhibition floor, attention is by far most concentrated on the Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix booths. Samsung, which recently became the first company in the world to ship 12-layer HBM4E (seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory) samples to global customers, is expected to unveil next-generation memory chip technology and emphasize its drive to lead the AI memory chip market.

Particularly notable is that Song Jae-hyuk, Samsung's semiconductor (DS) division chief technology officer — who also serves as chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association — will personally hold a briefing on next-generation memory chip technology, an occasion expected to impress upon global customers and partners the competitiveness of South Korea's semiconductor industry.

The meeting between Huang and Chey is another focal point. Chey is expected to attend Huang's opening keynote address, with the two sides looking to reinforce a trilateral alliance that also includes TSMC. Chey has met Huang three times in the past seven months — including at Nvidia GTC 2026 in San Jose in March — cementing a close network. As at the San Jose GTC, a visit by Huang to both companies' booths is also anticipated.

South Korea's two major display makers will also showcase advanced display technology at Computex. Samsung Display will make the public debut of an ultra-slim OLED panel for laptops, among other products. LG Display will run a private roadshow for key customers, presenting its next-generation display technology and products.

Nvidia is setting its sights squarely on the PC market. The company is expected to unveil at the event the first Windows PC to use its chip as the main processor.

Nvidia has until now focused on GPUs; the move amounts to a declaration that it is entering the CPU market as well.

Intel and AMD have dominated the CPU market for roughly 40 years. With this push, Nvidia looks to accelerate its bid to control an all-encompassing AI computing ecosystem spanning GPUs, software, CPUs and PC chips.

Samsung and SK Hynix are expected to benefit from Nvidia's entry into the CPU market. CPUs incorporate components such as LPCAMM (low-power compression-attached memory modules) that package several LPDDR (low-power DRAM) chips. The move expands the range of memory chips — beyond HBM, which has been central to GPUs — through which the two Korean companies can partner with Nvidia.

A foundry order for Samsung is another anticipated upside. Taiwanese fabless chipmaker MediaTek participated in designing the new processor. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently visited MediaTek's headquarters in Taiwan with senior executives and held a private meeting with CEO Rick Tsai and other top management, according to sources.

From Taipei, Park Ji-young