AMD, Intel, and Nvidia are unlikely to participate in Computex 2020, according to sources close to the matter. The Taiwanese tech show is usually one of the biggest events on the tech calendar, and is usually a hotbed of product announcements and launches. However, due to the ongoing global pandemic and related safety measures, the companies dearest to PC builders' hearts may halt their plans.
Computex usually takes place in early June, however, the show has since been pushed back to September 28-30 as a precautionary measure. While some countries have chosen to ease measures to varying degrees, there's little just yet to suggest that major events will be allowed to happen, or be sensible and safe, come September.
That could put a spanner in the works for AMD, who is reportedly unsure as to whether to proceed with its Computex plans, reports DigiTimes. The company was loosely tipped to make a few major announcements at the show—not the least of which was being AMD Ryzen 4000 CPUs built on the Zen 3 architecture. There's been no official word from the red team on its Zen 3, or indeed RDNA 2.0, plans beyond a vague promise of "2020", however, and it sounds like no matter whether we hear it from Computex or through a live stream, the company remains on track to deliver on its promise.
Similarly, Intel and Nvidia are said to be wobbling as to their inclusion in the tech show, alongside motherboard and graphics card manufacturers such as Gigabyte and MSI. It is said Asus is still following its original plans for the show.
I'm sure we'd all agree it's of the utmost importance that attendees and staff are able to enjoy Computex without risking their safety or the safety of others. If that requires delaying or shifting product announcements online, or shifting them out of their planned release window altogether, then so be it.
Nvidia recently shifted its Graphics Technology Conference (GTC) online in lieu of an in-person event, which seemed to go off without a major hitch. Jen-Hsun Huang is set to announce the Nvidia Ampere graphics architecture at the rescheduled GTC keynote this Thursday, so make sure to tune in for that one.
