Chipmaker’s future in AI hinges on access to high-bandwidth memory deals
Samsung Electronics is facing renewed pressure to reassert its competitiveness in the memory chip market as the AI era sharpens the focus on high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a component central to advanced AI computing. For Samsung, securing a supply deal with Nvidia—the dominant buyer of HBM—is critical.
Currently, the HBM market is firmly controlled by SK Hynix, which began exclusively supplying fourth-generation HBM (HBM3) to Nvidia in 2022. Both SK Hynix and U.S. rival Micron are already delivering next-generation HBM3E to Nvidia, while Samsung has yet to pass the GPU maker’s rigorous qualification tests. Industry insiders attribute the delay to both technical hurdles and the fact that Nvidia has already secured large volumes from SK Hynix under existing contracts.
According to Deutsche Bank, SK Hynix is expected to hold a commanding 57 percent share of the global HBM market in 2025, followed by Samsung at 24 percent and Micron at 19 percent.
Currently, the HBM market is firmly controlled by SK Hynix, which began exclusively supplying fourth-generation HBM (HBM3) to Nvidia in 2022. Both SK Hynix and U.S. rival Micron are already delivering next-generation HBM3E to Nvidia, while Samsung has yet to pass the GPU maker’s rigorous qualification tests. Industry insiders attribute the delay to both technical hurdles and the fact that Nvidia has already secured large volumes from SK Hynix under existing contracts.
According to Deutsche Bank, SK Hynix is expected to hold a commanding 57 percent share of the global HBM market in 2025, followed by Samsung at 24 percent and Micron at 19 percent.
Samsung also finds itself in an increasingly precarious position in the broader DRAM market, where it has long been the leader. For the first time, it ceded the top spot to SK Hynix in the first quarter of this year. Data from Counterpoint Research show that SK Hynix captured 36 percent of the DRAM market during the period, ahead of Samsung’s 34 percent. Analysts point to Samsung’s relative weakness in HBM—a DRAM-based technology stacked in layers—as a key reason for the shift.
Still, some believe the tide may begin to turn as early as the second half of this year. Samsung is expected to pass Nvidia’s qualification process for 12-layer HBM3E chips, opening the door to orders next year.
“There’s an understanding that Samsung continues to make technical improvements to its HBM offering,” said one tech industry insider. “From Nvidia’s perspective, over-reliance on a single supplier like SK Hynix poses clear risks.”
While Samsung is working to catch up in the current HBM3E market, it is increasingly focused on leapfrogging rivals in the next-generation HBM4 segment. The company aims to differentiate its future offerings using more advanced 1c DRAM technology, betting that a technological edge can help reverse its market share decline.
[Yoo Ji-han]
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