Samsung Increases HBM3E Prices as Nvidia H200 Demand Surges

Samsung has reportedly increased prices for its HBM3E memory chips. The main reason is the surge in demand for Nvidia’s H200 AI chips after the United States approved their export to China. This could allow the Korean firm to boost its HBM business and improve profitability after a slow start in this space.

Memory makers see profit opportunities in their HBM3E chips

Nvidia’s H200 AI chip uses advanced HBM3E memory to handle large-scale AI workloads. Now that Chinese customers can purchase the chip, demand for both the processor and its memory components has increased sharply. The American company reportedly told its clients that it plans to begin shipping the H200 to China before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February.

Initially, Nvidia plans to fulfill orders using existing inventory. Early shipments could range from 5,000 to 10,000 chip modules (roughly 40,000 to 80,000 H200 AI chips). The company is now gearing up to expand production capacity for the H200, with new orders expected to open in Q2 2026.

It looks like memory makers are now seeing this strong demand as an opportunity to increase profits from HBM3E. “Samsung and SK Hynix are increasing HBM3E prices by 20%, driven by the approval of Nvidia’s H200 exports to China,” said industry insider Jukan.

Another report says demand for HBM3E is not coming solely from Nvidia. Other global big tech companies are also planning to release their AI accelerators with HBM3E next year. However, as the industry slowly moves toward next-generation HBM4 chips, prices for HBM3E could drop somewhat next year.

However, it remains unclear how many HBM3E orders Nvidia will place with Samsung. Given SK Hynix’s solid position as Nvidia’s main supplier, Samsung is unlikely to receive large orders in the short term. Meanwhile, Nvidia has reportedly given positive feedback on Samsung’s HBM4 memory. The chips performed well in system-in-package (SiP) tests, achieving high speed and power efficiency.