Samsung loses first place in memory production for the first time
According to the latest data, SK Hynix has become the global leader in DRAM and HBM, overtaking Samsung in Q2 2025 - the first time since the company was founded in 1983.
Key figures for Q2 2025:
| SK Hynix | Samsung | |
| Memory revenues | $9.66 billion | $8.94 billion |
| Market share | 36,2% | 33,5% |
| Operating profit | $1.88 billion |
What happened.
The difference in profits points to the AI-driven demand for HBM memory, which SK Hynix was the first to produce. Its HBM3 and HBM3E modules are used in almost 70% of Nvidia's AI servers. The HBM segment has become the key to leadership: in 2025, HBM is expected to account for about 42% of SK Hynix's revenue, or approximately $20.7 billion, compared to only about 19% for Samsung. The latter has lost its leadership due to delays in setting up HBM production, although it remains strong in the NAND and traditional DRAM segments.
Forecasts and trends:
SK Hynix plans to double its HBM sales in 2025, supported by strong demand from Amazon, Nvidia, OpenAI, and others. Ambitious plans for the development of HBM4 have been introduced. Samsung is actively investing in HBM products, although it faces some difficulties. It is currently difficult to assess how systemic the semiconductor crisis at Samsung is. Along with memory, the company is experiencing difficult times in its own processor production and contract manufacturing of processors for other manufacturers. It is known that the Koreans are aware of the problem and are looking for ways to solve it.