SK hynix has again taken the lead in the HBM segment, as the Korean firm became the first to supply HBM4 modules to NVIDIA for Rubin's sample testing.
SK Hynix Wins In The Race Against Micron & Samsung In Securing NVIDIA's HBM4 Orders For Next-Gen Rubin AI GPUs
For those unaware, HBM4 serves a crucial role in the future of computational markets, given that the standard is said to combine memory and logic elements into a single package, making the implementation the first of its kind.
The race for HBM4 superiority has been ongoing between South Korean giants. Still, now, according to a report by the Korean media outlet DealSite, it is revealed that SK hynix has already started to supply HBM4 to NVIDIA in "small quantities", marking the first formal adoption of the process, and allowing Team Green to launch Rubin into the markets by Q4 2025.
In terms of competitors, Micron is said to be second to SK hynix, since the firm is said to have lower HBM4 yield rates compared to SK hynix, and the firm is facing issues in allocating production lines to the process. For Samsung, well, they have seen progress with HBM4, but yield rates are completely unknown for now. However, the Korean giant recently saw the adoption of its HBM3E module from AMD, so with an improved brand image, Samsung could be included in NVIDIA's "pool of suppliers" for HBM4. However, nothing is certain for now.
It is certain that with HBM4, SK hynix's HBM market share is going to see a notable change, since the firm has now become NVIDIA's "premium" supplier, so it is likely that a large portion of orders will go to them. However, like HBM3, Team Green has plans to adopt a "multi-sourcing" strategy, so it will have HBM4 from Micron, or, optimistically, Samsung as well.
More importantly, with HBM4 modules with NVIDIA, it is safe to say that the Rubin GPU architecture is preparing for a launch by Q4 2025, presumably in September, when the customer qualification run starts. NVIDIA is indeed on track to comply with a six-month product cadence, and with reliable suppliers like SK hynix on hand, the firm won't have many issues in catering to customer demand.
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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