Samsung, SK Hynix Gear Up for a Two-Horse HBM4 Race

The competition between Samsung and SK Hynix in the HBM market is intensifying. Both memory makers are trying to attract major clients for their 6th-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4. This cutting-edge memory will play a key role in powering future AI systems.

After lagging in HBM3E, Samsung eyes a comeback in the HBM4 era

Last month, Samsung launched its HBM4 chip at the 27th Semiconductor Exhibition (SEDEX 2025) in Seoul. The company has already sent samples to Nvidia for quality testing and is waiting for the outcomes. “Samsung Electronics’ preparations for the HBM4 quality test are proceeding smoothly, and the approval seems likely to pass soon,” said a semiconductor industry insider (via Asiae). “Next year, it is expected that there will be a two-way competition between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.”

Samsung has recently entered the Nvidia supply chain for the 5th-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM3E. However, it’s too late for the company as SK Hynix has already secured a dominant position in the HBM market. Now, with HBM4, Samsung aims to gain a foothold in this space. The company is using advanced 1c DRAM (6th generation 10nm-class) in the next-gen chip to attract AI chipmakers seeking faster and efficient memory solutions.

An earlier report suggests that Samsung has already sold out its planned 2026 production of HBM4, thanks to solid demand from the booming AI industry. Meanwhile, SK Hynix is gearing up to ship HBM4 in the fourth quarter of this year and has already finished supply deals with key customers for next year. “With our industry-leading HBM technology, we are already meeting and responding to the highest specifications required by customers,” said SK Hynix. “We plan to begin full-scale sales expansion next year.”

Meanwhile, Nvidia plans to complete testing HBM4 for its next-gen AI accelerator (Rubin) by the first quarter of next year. If both Samsung and SK Hynix pass the tests, it will be interesting to see how much supply volume each company secures, a factor that could greatly impact their market share.