Computex 2023: Intel cedes highlight at international tech gala to AI darling Nvidia

When Asia’s greatest computing and electronics present kicked off this week, one title was conspicuously absent: Intel Corp. The US chipmaker doesn’t have an official presence at this yr’s Computex exhibition, an occasion as soon as dominated by keynote speeches and a present flooring on an outdoor-sized stage. The 2023 version opened with a marathon two-hour showcase by Nvidia Corp. Chief Government Officer Jensen Huang a day earlier than it grew to become the primary $1 trillion chipmaker in anticipation of a wave of demand for its synthetic intelligence processors.

Intel, lengthy synonymous with the world’s quickest processors, has seen its all-purpose chips overshadowed by Nvidia’s extra specialised, parallel-processing architectures which are greatest fitted to accelerating AI workloads. Intel rivals that hosted different main keynote occasions embrace Qualcomm Inc., Mediatech Inc. and Arm Ltd. CEO Rene Haas — a former Nvidia government — all touted their AI credentials.

Nvidia forged a protracted shadow on the exhibition flooring. Tremendous Micro laptop Inc. confirmed knowledge heart racks with a number of Nvidia H100 accelerators, Asustek Laptop Inc. is constructing a subscription-based generative AI service constructed round Nvidia’s A100 chips, and Quanta Laptop Inc. Helps new servers which Nvidia Grace Hooper Superchip. In distinction, Intel’s presence was a lot smaller than in earlier years. The lifeblood of the Computex present are small gadget assemblers and system integrators, firms that will have revolved round Intel a decade in the past.

At the very least for this yr, Intel selected to step again from the Computex highlight and conduct its enterprise behind the scenes. CEO Pat Gelsinger hosted an invite-only Intel Imaginative and prescient occasion in Taipei final week. The corporate can also be supporting companions like Asus at their Computex sales space. His most public look will likely be as an government attending a sustainability discussion board.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel, headquartered not removed from Nvidia and rival chipmaker Superior Micro Gadgets Inc., is in transition underneath Gelsinger. The corporate just lately launched its first graphics playing cards and is working to make up misplaced floor on the AI ​​entrance and advance chip fabrication.

Nvidia’s Huang may very well be a future Intel buyer. Requested about diversifying his firm’s provide chain exterior of key associate Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the manager mentioned Tuesday that his firm is evaluating Intel’s next-generation chipmaking processes and that they give the impression of being promising.