According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, in the first quarter of 2025, South Korean memory chip manufacturer SK Hynix surpassed Samsung Electronics with a 36% market share to become the world's largest DRAM supplier. This achievement is primarily driven by the explosive growth in demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) due to the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) applications. HBM, a high-performance DRAM based on 3D stacking technology, has seen a surge in market demand, boosting SK Hynix's market share in the DRAM sector.

DRAM Market Share Shifts and HBM Market Growth 

● SK Hynix: Captured a 36% market share, surpassing Samsung for the first time. 

● Samsung Electronics: Held a 34% market share, trailing SK Hynix by approximately 2 percentage points.

● Micron Technology: Secured a 25% market share, ranking third. 

The demand for HBM in AI applications continues to grow, with revenue from HBM products in the AI sector expected to account for 20% of the global DRAM market in 2024. SK Hynix dominates the HBM market with a 70% share, supplying its HBM3E products to major clients such as NVIDIA. Additionally, SK Hynix has developed HBM4 and has already provided samples to customers.

Technical and Market Advantages 

SK Hynix was the first in the world to mass-produce HBM3 in 2022 and HBM3E in 2024, showcasing its significant technical edge in the HBM sector. Its HBM3 and HBM3E products, known for their high performance and low power consumption, have become the preferred choice for AI chip manufacturers like NVIDIA. In contrast, Samsung and Micron, despite accelerating their efforts, remain 1-2 quarters behind SK Hynix in yield and production capacity. Notably, Samsung's HBM transition has lagged, with its HBM market share falling below 30% in the first quarter of 2025. Samsung also faced delays in delivering 12-layer HBM3E samples, leading to a squeeze on DRAM production capacity. 

Currently, HBM3/e production capacity has been pre-ordered by major players such as NVIDIA and Amazon through 2025, with prices 5-8 times higher than those of traditional DRAM. The proportion of SK Hynix's HBM revenue in its total DRAM revenue jumped from 10% in 2023 to 35% in Q2 2024, directly boosting its overall gross margin to 42% (compared to Samsung's 28% during the same period).

Future Outlook 

SK Hynix anticipates that its HBM production capacity for 2025 is already sold out, and orders for 2026 are expected to be finalized within the year. The company plans to increase its capital expenditure for 2025 by 30%, raising it from the originally planned KRW 22 trillion to KRW 29 trillion, to address the surge in HBM demand. This move reflects SK Hynix's confidence in the HBM market and its commitment to meeting the rapidly growing demands of key partners, particularly NVIDIA.

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