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NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm CEOs gather in Taipei: Whether your chips get sold is decided by ** assembly plants

By Tim Culpan

Compiled by: DeepTide TechFlow

Deep Tide Summary:This year's Computex attracted the largest number of overseas tech CEOs in its history—but they're not here for a fashion show. This article reveals an overlooked truth: the fate of chipmakers isn't decided by brand-name vendors like Dell or HP, but by the supply chain engineers in Taiwan who handle modules, thermal solutions, and assembly. Understanding this bottom-up power structure is key to grasping how the tech industry really operates.

Good evening from Taipei. Computex Taipei kicks off tomorrow (Tuesday, June 2), and this annual trade show is hotter than ever.

Lately, people have been asking me what’s different about Computex this year and why it suddenly became so popular. The answer is: nothing has changed. I’ve attended every year since 2000, and the show itself has barely evolved.

What has changed in recent years is that the world has rediscovered its interest in computers—and suddenly realized that Taiwan dominates this industry. This year, servers—those massive computers housed in large, dull black boxes—have become part of mainstream conversation and cultural discourse like never before.

Here’s my guide to Computex: how to attend efficiently and how to understand what’s really happening behind the scenes at the world’s most important tech trade show.

Computex’s origin story is right there in its name: Computer Expo. Even as global interest in computers has waxed and waned, this annual event has stayed true to its core mission.

Over the years, the rise of consumer electronics, gaming consoles, and smartphones made computers seem dull. But the show never strayed from its purpose—it has always been the stage where PC makers showcase desktops, laptops, servers, motherboards, cables, peripherals, and every other component of the PC ecosystem.

The official show starts on the Tuesday of the first week of June. Monday isn’t part of the official schedule, though some companies hold events. Saturday is the final day and open to the public. I recommend avoiding Saturday if you’re attending Computex.

Industry keynote speeches

Forum

The exhibition site

Keynote speeches give executives a chance to pitch their company, ecosystem, and latest products to the audience. Keep in mind that Computex’s target audience includes engineers, product managers, supply chain procurement specialists, and global purchasing executives—technically savvy individuals who understand soldering and motherboards. Bus speeds and thermal thresholds are everyday topics for this crowd.

For years, Intel has specifically reserved one of its annual chip launches for Computex. AMD often does the same. One year, VIA Technologies became the hero at Computex while Intel played the villain by literally popping its smaller rival’s balloon (yes, I mean that literally—I’m not joking). Graphics chipmakers ATI and NVIDIA heavily rely on Computex to introduce their niche products to a focused audience.

Well-known brands occupy prime marketing spots around the exhibition hall.

Photo: Tim Culpan/Culpium

Computex was, and still is, the premier computer expo.

As a result, Intel’s CEO typically delivers a keynote, and one or two other executives might also appear to speak. A few foreign CEOs are about all we can expect, while local leaders like Jonney Shih of ASUS or Gianfranco Lanci of Acer proudly represent Taiwan. Regional heads or vice presidents from major global companies often serve as corporate ambassadors at the event.

This year, Computex attracted more overseas executives than I can recall, including:

Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon

Intel, Lip-Bu Tan

Arm, Rene Haas

AMD, Lisa Su

NVIDIA, Jensen Huang

Marvell, Matt Murphy

NXP, Rafael Sotomayor

The importance of Computex isn't because all these tech CEOs come to Taipei. Quite the contrary—they all come to Taipei because Computex is so important.

Global industry elites come to Taipei to kiss the ring of tech power.

I’ve included AMD’s Lisa Su on the list, even though she arrived in town before Computex and not specifically for the event. NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang didn’t actually appear at Computex either—at least not officially. His Monday GTC keynote wasn’t part of the official Computex schedule.

AMD CEO Lisa Su speaks to reporters after attending a pre-Compute 100 event in Taipei and making an announcement

Photo: Tim Culpan/Culpium

But that precisely illustrates the point. So many executives recognize that Computex—and Taiwan more broadly—is so critical to their business that they go to great lengths to squeeze it into their packed schedules. They want to make major announcements when the world is watching, then meet key players behind closed doors to forge relationships that will either make or break their business over the next 12 months.

The real action doesn’t actually happen during the keynote speeches. All the news naturally flows from embargoed interviews and press releases timed to coincide with when the executives take the stage.

Since keynotes are already extensively covered by media, press releases, and social media, your time may be better spent attending smaller forums focused on highly niche topics. For example, Craig McDonnell, Managing Director of ABB Robotics, is hosting a forum this year on industrial-grade physical AI for robotics. If that’s not your thing, consider Ed H. Chi from Google DeepMind and his talk on the future of personalized general-purpose assistants. There’s much more. There are also side events like Innovex, which focuses on ventures and emerging companies.

Companies want to showcase themselves at these forums to advance their vision and ecosystem. They also want to sit in the audience to understand what competitors and partners are doing and exchange business cards. I guarantee you’ll learn more and build higher-quality connections from a few carefully selected forums than from attending every single keynote.

I’m always surprised to see Computex visitors schedule their departure for Wednesday or Thursday. But if you don’t know where the real gems are, that’s an understandable choice. I think these early departures happen because, at most other trade shows, there really isn’t much worth seeing in the final days.

But the most exciting action happens neither in keynotes nor in forums. It all takes place on the show floor—in VIP areas of 3x3 booths, in invite-only hotel suites, and in meeting rooms at tech company offices in Nangang and Neihu districts near the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

Many businesses—including local tech firms and local branches of foreign companies—mark Computex as a blackout period on their calendars, prohibiting time off or travel to ensure full attendance.

Overseas customers are the lifeblood of Taiwan’s industries, especially its tech sector, and local partners prepare thoroughly for this annual pilgrimage. Seasoned attendees come because they understand something many visitors miss: winning over the PC ecosystem is crucial to capturing market share among end buyers.

The tech ecosystem is more bottom-up than many realize. Foreign clients have the money, but local suppliers have the talent and relationships.

Another trade show? Or perhaps not?

Image: Tim Culpan/Culpium

A module manufacturer unwilling to design circuit boards around your chips won’t become an advocate for your product. A thermal management or mechanical components vendor reluctant to invest time learning and building around your specifications won’t have ready solutions when assemblers need them.

And an assembler unwilling to devote time and resources to integrate your product into their systems—partly because upstream suppliers haven’t prepared the necessary parts—won’t even bother presenting it to branded PC makers.

While Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus decide what products to sell, at what specs and prices, they’re powerless if the rest of the ecosystem isn’t interested.

A lesser-known reality is that system manufacturers and their suppliers make many critical product and engineering decisions long before presenting anything to brand-name clients. These choices determine whether your component is taken seriously—or becomes just another oddity that barely ships.

Although many components are manufactured in Korea, Japan, China, and even the U.S., real control lies with Taiwan’s hardware clique. An uninterested assembler or a confused and exhausted module maker could kill your product before it even leaves Taiwan Semiconductor’s wafer fabs. This isn’t conspiracy—it’s cold, hard pragmatism.

Technology cycles are short. Margins are thin. Technical barriers are high. The only speed at which this industry functions is fast. Achieving that requires collaboration—even among competitors and partners. As Lisa Su recently remarked in Taipei about her rivals, 'We’re all friends because we grew up together.' Bringing something new to market carries enormous risk for every manufacturer potentially involved.

Trade show floors and hidden back rooms are where these relationships develop. It’s at these booths that niche manufacturers of heat spreaders, high-speed cables, or multilayer printed circuit boards showcase their offerings. Then they listen as existing or prospective customers share engineering challenges, outline their own sales forecasts, and seek advice on how to build products under crushing margins and impossible deadlines.

Have any thoughts? Please share.

For large companies like Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Marvell, not being mentioned in these discussions means your chips are being rejected by those building the end products. Similarly, failing to show up and support these manufacturers will lead them to partner with suppliers who are willing to do so.

As in any industry, relationships and interoperability matter. What makes tech hardware unique is that physical product manufacturing is combined with product development cycles that operate at tech speed.

Computex offers a unique opportunity to observe this ecosystem. You just need to know where to look.

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