Jensen Huang delivers keynote at GTC Taipei 2026

Unveils N1 X CPU designed for AI agents

AI PC set to launch this fall

Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix LPDDR5X chips expected inside

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang holds up the N1 X chip — the first CPU designed for AI agents — during his keynote address at GTC Taipei 2026 on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang holds up the N1 X chip — the first CPU designed for AI agents — during his keynote address at GTC Taipei 2026 on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)

Nvidia announced that mass production of its next-generation AI superchip Vera Rubin is fully underway, a move expected to accelerate shipments of HBM4 — sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory — from South Korea's leading memory chip makers.

The company also entered the AI PC market, unveiling a proprietary CPU that analysts say could trigger a second wave of demand for high-capacity memory chips, offering Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix a new growth opportunity beyond HBM.

Speaking at his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang officially declared that "Vera Rubin has entered full production." He said the chip incorporates TSMC's 3-nanometer process, advanced packaging, and HBM4 from Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, and was "built to run agents — the last breakthrough in computer science."

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announces at his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday that the Vera Rubin superchip has entered full production. (Park Ji-young)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announces at his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday that the Vera Rubin superchip has entered full production. (Park Ji-young)

Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are supplying HBM4 for Vera Rubin. Huang's confirmation of full production suggests the two companies have been shipping HBM4 ahead of schedule to keep pace with Nvidia's production timeline.

Samsung Electronics was the first company in the world to begin mass-producing and shipping HBM4, in February, achieving speeds of up to 13 gigabits per second and memory bandwidth of approximately 3.3 terabytes per second — well above Nvidia's requirements. SK Hynix has also established its own HBM4 mass-production line. Each Vera Rubin superchip is believed to incorporate approximately 16 HBM4 units.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang explains the company's robotics ecosystem during his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang explains the company's robotics ecosystem during his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)

As the era of agentic AI takes hold, Nvidia is moving into the CPU space. The company plans to launch an AI PC this fall powered by its N1 X chip — a CPU designed to run AI agents on personal computers.

Huang hinted to reporters in Taiwan that an unannounced surprise product was in the works, and the N1 X chip is widely believed to be that product. The industry is watching closely to see whether Nvidia can shake up a CPU market that Intel and AMD have dominated for roughly 40 years.

Nvidia's push into the personal computer market is expected to benefit Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as well. Industry sources believe the N1 X chip will be paired with eight 16-gigabyte LPDDR5X memory modules — running at 9.6 gigabits per second — from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The broader rise in demand for high-capacity memory is expected to drive sales growth for both companies.

The development also raises hopes for Samsung's foundry business. Taiwan-based fabless chipmaker MediaTek participated in developing the N1 X chip. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently visited MediaTek's headquarters in Taiwan with senior executives for a private meeting with CEO Rick Tsai and other top management.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang explains the company's Omniverse platform during his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang explains the company's Omniverse platform during his GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)

Discussing Nvidia's Omniverse — a software platform for simulating digital worlds — Huang specifically named South Korean companies Naver Cloud and the Bank of Korea, as well as Hyundai. On the robotics side, he cited Samsung Electronics' Rainbow Robotics, LG Electronics' CLOi and Hyundai Motor Group as collaboration partners.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won attends the Nvidia GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won attends the Nvidia GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)

Among those in attendance at the keynote were SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, SK Hynix AI Infrastructure President Kim Ju-sun and SK Hynix Global Sales and Marketing Executive Vice President Lee Sang-rak. Hanmi Semiconductor Chairman Kwak Dong-shin was also present.

Throughout the keynote, Huang repeatedly invoked the phrase "useful AI," emphasizing the productivity gains and sales growth that AI has delivered.

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung (center), AI Infrastructure President Kim Ju-sun (left) and Global Sales and Marketing Executive Vice President Lee Sang-rak (right) attend the Nvidia GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)
SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung (center), AI Infrastructure President Kim Ju-sun (left) and Global Sales and Marketing Executive Vice President Lee Sang-rak (right) attend the Nvidia GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Sunday. (Park Ji-young)

"There are 30 million developers in the world earning about $3 trillion in salaries, and their labor is now producing nearly three times the output," Huang said. "That means $3 trillion in salaries is generating $9 trillion in productivity — that is the potential of AI."

He also pushed back on concerns about AI-driven job losses. "People say AI will reduce jobs — that's complete nonsense," he said. "Because the output enabled by AI is so remarkable, companies actually want to hire more software engineers."

엔비디아 칩 탑재 첫 윈도 PC 나온다…AI 혁명지서 달라진 韓기업 위상

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