Samsung appears to be geared up for a leadership status with the HBM4 supply, as the Korean giant is now reporting significant progress, levelling the competition with SK hynix.
Samsung Is In a Much Better Position Relative to Where It Was With HBM3, Due to Massive DRAM Improvements
Samsung didn't have a great time in the HBM business because the company had sluggish momentum with HBM3. The firm didn't see qualifications in time by the likes of NVIDIA, which massively influenced the company's revenue. Things did improve with the HBM3E standard, but Samsung still didn't manage to tap into NVIDIA's mainstream supply chain. However, this could change with HBM4 as, according to a new report by the Korean media, Samsung is gearing up for HBM4 sampling by the end of this month, collaborating with AMD and NVIDIA.
Now, the reason markets are way more optimistic about Samsung's progress with HBM4 is that the company has made massive advancements with the 6th-generation 1c DRAM technology, which has seen notable improvements in yield rates, mainly due to the adoption of newer techniques. Samsung isn't concerned about tapping the markets earlier than competitors, rather than core focus this time is actually getting out a viable product, one that can be adopted by the likes of AMD and NVIDIA.
When you look at competitors, SK hynix has already started showing HBM4 modules in public, with Micron also reportedly ready with its solution. The Korean giants are expected to enter HBM4 mass production in the upcoming quarters, and then ultimately, fulfill demand mainly from NVIDIA's Rubin platform, or AMD's Instinct MI400. Since the supply chain is a lot more competitive this time, it is anticipated that the price for HBM prices could lower even further, and if Samsung manages to see NVIDIA's verification, then the production volume would be massive.
For now, it looks like Samsung is on the right track with HBM4, however, you can never be certain considering that the situation of the Korean giant has often changed pretty quickly, especially with what we saw with HBM3.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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