SK Hynix Tops Global DRAM Market for First Time

According to South Korean media reports, SK Hynix has surpassed Samsung Electronics to become the global leader in the DRAM market for the first quarter of 2025, marking a major shift in industry leadership driven by SK Hynix's competitive edge in high-bandwidth memory (HBM).

Multiple market research firms have confirmed that SK Hynix has secured the top position in the global DRAM market. A report released by TrendForce on June 3 reveals that SK Hynix recorded DRAM sales of $9.72 billion in Q1 2025, capturing a 36% market share—the highest among all players. Samsung Electronics followed with a 33.7% share, while Micron came in third with 24.3%. Although SK Hynix's share dipped slightly from 36.6% in Q4 2024, Samsung's dropped more significantly from 39.3%, allowing SK Hynix to take the lead.

Counterpoint Research also reported earlier in April that SK Hynix led the Q1 2025 DRAM market with a 36% share, edging out Samsung's 34%. This development marks a dramatic turnaround compared to Q1 2024, when Samsung held a dominant 43.9% share against SK Hynix's 31.1%. By Q4 2024, that gap had narrowed considerably, with Samsung at 39.3% and SK Hynix at 36.6%, setting the stage for the current shift.

The primary driver behind SK Hynix's rise is the surge in shipments of high-value products such as HBM3E. In contrast, Samsung Electronics faced setbacks due to restrictions on exporting HBM directly to China, which affected its HBM3E shipment volumes. Currently, SK Hynix is effectively the exclusive supplier of NVIDIA's fifth-generation HBM3E. In March 2025, the company also began sampling its next-generation 12-layer HBM4, the sixth generation of its HBM lineup.

Samsung has responded by taking aggressive steps to regain competitiveness in the HBM sector. The company is scaling back production of older models like HBM2E and shifting focus to next-generation products, especially the sixth-generation HBM (HBM4). Reports indicate that Samsung is redesigning its 10nm-class sixth-generation (1c) DRAM to better support HBM4 applications, resulting in increased chip size, improved yield, and enhanced stability.

In April, Samsung announced that it had completed delivery of improved HBM3E samples to key customers, with sales contributions expected to begin increasing in the second quarter. The company anticipates that HBM sales will bottom out in Q1 and gradually rebound throughout the year. Development of HBM4 is also on track, with volume production slated for the second half of 2025, aligned with customer project timelines.

Despite SK Hynix's gains, the overall global DRAM market saw a quarter-over-quarter decline of 5.5% in Q1 2025, totaling $27.01 billion. This drop was attributed to falling contract prices and a temporary decrease in HBM shipments.

However, TrendForce projects a recovery beginning in the second quarter. As PC and smartphone manufacturers respond to a 90-day reciprocal tariff grace period granted by the U.S., they are expected to complete inventory adjustments and ramp up production—driving a notable increase in DRAM shipment volumes across the industry.