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Samsung Begins Shipping HBM4 Chips to Boost AI Position

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Samsung Electronics said it has started shipping its most advanced high-bandwidth memory chips, HBM4, as it seeks to close the gap with rivals in supplying critical components for artificial intelligence accelerators.

Demand for high-performance memory has surged amid the global buildout of AI data centers. HBM chips are essential for feeding large volumes of data into AI accelerators, including those developed by Nvidia. Samsung has previously trailed competitors such as SK Hynix in delivering earlier-generation HBM products.

Samsung said its HBM4 chips deliver a consistent processing speed of 11.7 gigabits per second, a 22% improvement over its HBM3E predecessor, with peak speeds reaching 13 Gbps to address growing data bottlenecks. The company added that it plans to provide samples of next-generation HBM4E chips in the second half of the year.

Shares of Samsung rose following the announcement, reflecting investor optimism about its efforts to regain momentum in the competitive AI memory market. SK Hynix, which has maintained a leading position in HBM production, has said it aims to preserve its strong market share as competition intensifies. Meanwhile, U.S.-based Micron Technology has also begun high-volume production and customer shipments of HBM4.

The rollout underscores intensifying competition among memory manufacturers as AI infrastructure expansion continues to drive demand for faster, more efficient chip technologies.

Samsung to Start HBM4 Production for Nvidia Supply

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Samsung Electronics plans to begin production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, known as HBM4, next month and supply them to Nvidia, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The move marks a key step in Samsung’s efforts to close the gap with local rival SK Hynix, which has emerged as the primary supplier of advanced memory used in Nvidia’s AI accelerators. Earlier supply delays had weighed on Samsung’s earnings and share price last year.

Samsung shares rose 2.2% in morning trade, while SK Hynix shares fell 2.9%. The source declined to disclose shipment volumes. Samsung declined to comment, and Nvidia was not immediately available for comment.

South Korean newspaper Korea Economic Daily reported that Samsung recently passed HBM4 qualification tests for Nvidia and AMD, and is set to begin shipments to Nvidia next month, citing industry sources.

SK Hynix said in October it had completed supply talks with major customers for next year and plans to deploy silicon wafers at its new M15X fab in Cheongju starting next month. It has not confirmed whether HBM4 will be part of the initial output.

Both Samsung and SK Hynix are due to report fourth-quarter earnings later this week, when further details on HBM4 orders are expected. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said the company’s next-generation Vera Rubin AI platform is already in full production and will be paired with HBM4 chips later this year.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Reports Surging Demand for Blackwell Chips

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Saturday that demand for the company’s cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips is “very strong,” as the semiconductor giant deepens its partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to meet soaring global demand.

Speaking at an event hosted by TSMC in Hsinchu, Taiwan, Huang said Nvidia’s Blackwell platform — which integrates GPUs, CPUs, networking, and switching systems — requires an extensive supply of wafers and components. “We build the GPU, but we also build the CPU, the networking, the switches… there are a lot of chips associated with Blackwell,” he explained.

TSMC CEO C.C. Wei confirmed that Huang had “asked for wafers,” but declined to disclose quantities. “TSMC is doing a very good job supporting us,” Huang said, emphasizing that Nvidia’s record-breaking success “would not be possible without TSMC.”

In October, Nvidia became the first company to surpass a $5 trillion market value, prompting Wei to call Huang a “five-trillion-dollar man.”

When asked about supply challenges, Huang acknowledged there would be “shortages of different things,” though memory makers SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron have expanded capacity to meet demand. Nvidia has already received next-generation memory samples from all three suppliers.

SK Hynix recently said it had sold out all production for 2026, forecasting a long-lasting chip “super cycle” driven by AI growth. Samsung is also in “close discussion” to supply HBM4 memory to Nvidia.

Huang reiterated that Nvidia has no active discussions to sell Blackwell chips to China, as U.S. restrictions remain in place.