SK hynix shifts to DRAM as margins top HBM, opening HBM chance for Samsung - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz

SK hynix is shifting its strategic focus toward the commodity DRAM market, slowing the expansion of 6th-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM4) production. This move is driven by the fact that DRAM ma... Read original →

SK hynix’s pivot from HBM4 to commodity DRAM reveals a critical inflection: AI memory demand is plateauing sooner than expected. This triggers cascading effects—upstream EUV tool orders face volatility, GPU architects must reassess bandwidth overdesign for NVIDIA’s Rubin platform, and widening DDR5/HBM3E price gaps could delay AI server cost curves. Samsung now has a rare opening to reclaim HBM leadership, but yield ramp speed is the bottleneck. Geopolitically, the EU Chips Act intensifies supply chain scrutiny; heavy reliance on U.S. cloud long-term contracts (e.g., Microsoft) exposes Korean firms to secondary sanctions risk. Over the next 18 months, the memory sector will settle into a “high-margin, low-growth” equilibrium, with structural HBM oversupply looming. Companies with dual DRAM-HBM flexibility—Samsung foremost—will dominate the next cycle.