SK Hynix HBM4 Supply Price Rises 50%

According to recent reports from South Korean media, SK Hynix has finalized negotiations with NVIDIA for the 2025 supply of its sixth-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM4), marking a price increase of more than 50% compared to HBM3E. This agreement sets the stage for significant performance advancements in next-generation AI computing.

Earlier this year, in March, SK Hynix delivered the world's first 12-layer stacked HBM4 sample to NVIDIA. After receiving positive feedback, mass production began in June. The new memory will be used in NVIDIA's upcoming AI chip, codenamed Rubin, expected to launch in the second half of 2025.

HBM4 features 2,048 data transfer channels—double that of HBM3E—and integrates advanced logic processing within its base die for improved power efficiency and computing performance. Unlike previous generations, SK Hynix outsourced the production of HBM4's base die to TSMC, enhancing manufacturing scalability.

In September, SK Hynix announced the successful development of HBM4 and the world's first established mass production system for AI memory. The company expects to start shipments in Q4 2025 and expand sales next year.

Although price negotiations with NVIDIA were reportedly difficult, SK Hynix's HBM4 eventually settled around USD 560 per chip, maintaining the company's leadership in the high-end memory segment. Competing manufacturers, including Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology, are still refining their own HBM4 yields. Micron's version may face up to a nine-month delay due to performance issues, while Samsung's mass production timeline remains uncertain.

Industry insiders note that SK Hynix's HBM4 profit margin could reach around 60%, supported by strong demand from AI infrastructure expansion. Financial forecasts suggest that SK Hynix's HBM revenue could rise to KRW 40–42 trillion in 2025, up nearly 50% year-on-year, with operating profits projected to exceed KRW 25 trillion from HBM alone.

As HBM becomes increasingly vital for AI acceleration, general DRAM prices are also climbing. Data from DRAMeXchange shows DDR4 fixed transaction prices hit a six-year high of USD 7 in September. With AI applications rapidly expanding, SK Hynix's DRAM business is expected to sustain profit margins of 50–60% next year, reinforcing its dominance in the global memory market.