(Feb 12): Samsung Electronics Co claimed an early lead in the race to supply memory chips for Nvidia Corp's artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators, a milestone for a South Korean company that’s seeking to displace its rivals in a pivotal market.
The company said on Thursday it had sent the first commercial shipments of HBM4 to customers, without naming Nvidia, signalling a comeback after falling behind domestic contender SK Hynix Inc in recent years. Samsung shares jumped as much as 7.6% on Nextrade, renewing an all-time high.
The South Korean giant is battling SK Hynix and Micron Technology Inc for orders from Nvidia, the leader in AI accelerators. Their HBM4 chips are expected to power the US company’s upcoming Vera Rubin accelerators, considered the most capable semiconductors for training and operating AI.
Micron told investors on Wednesday that it’s begun producing its own HBM4 chips in high volumes and the Boise, Idaho-based semiconductor company is now seen as a key beneficiary of the AI boom.
SK Hynix said in October it would begin supplying HBM4 to customers in the fourth quarter, shifting to full-fledged sales in 2026.
See also: Lenovo warns memory chip disturbance to last entire year
Samsung’s milestone came after achieving stable yields — the percentage of usable chips coming off factory lines — by leveraging more advanced DRAM processors and four-nanometre logic technology, it said.
President and chip division chief technology officer Jaihyuk Song told reporters this week that Samsung’s progress in HBM4 has put it back at the top of the memory industry.
“We are now demonstrating Samsung’s true capabilities once again,” Song said. “While we may not have fully shown the side of Samsung that responds to customer needs with world-class technology for some time, you can see this as us returning to our original state.”
Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee
