Rumor

Samsung Reportedly Surpasses SK Hynix in HBM Production Capacity, Cites Recent Customer Wins and Expansion Plans

Monday, December 1, 2025 at 09:47 AM

An exclusive report claims Samsung Electronics has taken the lead in High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production capacity, reaching 170,000 wafers per month, surpassing SK Hynix's 160,000. This increase follows facility conversions and coincides with confirmed supplies of HBM3E to Nvidia and HBM for Google's TPUs, alongside HBM4 sample delivery to clients. Meanwhile, SK Hynix is partnering with TSMC for HBM4 production.

Context

In a significant shift for the AI supply chain, Samsung Electronics has reportedly surpassed SK Hynix in High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production, reaching a capacity of 170,000 wafers per month versus SK Hynix's 160,000. This follows Samsung's aggressive conversion of DRAM lines and key customer wins, including volume shipments to Nvidia starting in September and large orders for Google's TPUs. The race continues as both companies target 200,000 wafers per month in 2026. Samsung is expanding its Pyeongtaek campus, while SK Hynix counters with its new M15X fab and a TSMC alliance for next-generation HBM4. This competition is critical as HBM, priced 3–5x higher than standard DRAM, now exceeds 20% of total DRAM revenue. Samsung's scale and integrated model offer an advantage in the growing custom AI chip market, with Nvidia's verdict on its HBM4 samples expected in December.