Samsung Electronics is set to begin official delivery of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM), HBM4 (6th generation), as early as next month. This move signals the company’s strategy to lead the market by being the first in the semiconductor industry to supply HBM4 at scale.
According to Industry sources on January 25, Samsung will start delivering to major U.S. clients, including Nvidia and AMD. The company is transitioning from sample testing to full-scale production, accepting orders from these key customers.
Samsung’s HBM4 achieves a data transfer speed of 11.7 gigabits per second, surpassing the 10 Gbps operating speed requested by Nvidia and AMD. This positions it as a top performer in the industry. The new HBM4 is expected to be integrated into cutting-edge AI accelerators, such as Nvidia’s Rubin and AMD’s MI450, slated for release in the latter half of this year.
Experts predict that Samsung’s entry into the HBM4 market will significantly shake up the global HBM landscape, currently dominated by SK Hynix.
Samsung initially commercialized HBM2 (2nd generation) for high-performance computing in 2016 but exited the market in 2019, citing unfavorable cost-to-demand ratios.
Meanwhile, SK Hynix persevered in development, becoming the first to produce HBM3 (4th generation) and supply it to Nvidia, quickly capturing global market share. This early lead allowed SK Hynix to maintain dominance even with the current flagship product, HBM3E. Samsung’s previous withdrawal is now viewed as a costly strategic error. However, as Samsung ramps up development and production of HBM4 this year, analysts suggest it could challenge SK Hynix’s market leadership.
Samsung has taken bold steps internally, redesigning the DRAM – the core component of HBM. The company has also implemented an advanced 4 nanometer process for the base die, which serves as the HBM’s brain. While this approach carried risks, Samsung aimed to differentiate its product through superior performance by utilizing more advanced processes than competitors.
This strategy appears to be paying off. Reports indicate that Samsung’s HBM4 has received top marks in Nvidia’s internal tests, helping to restore client confidence in Samsung’s technological prowess.
SK Hynix announced last year that it had already established mass production capabilities for HBM4 and plans to begin full-scale production this year, signaling an intensification of competition between the two tech giants.
