SK hynix Demands 70% Price Hike for HBM4 — Nvidia Faces Supply Dilemma
- ???? 2025.08.14 01:20
- ??? Simon LEE
SK hynix Shocks AI Chip Market With 70% Price Hike for HBM4 — Puts Nvidia in a Tough Spot
autodaily.co.kr
The global semiconductor industry is buzzing after reports that SK hynix has proposed a 60–70% price increase for its next-generation High Bandwidth Memory 4 (HBM4) to Nvidia — setting the unit price at around $500 (?690,000), up from the $300-level price of the current HBM3E (5th gen).
Industry insiders see this as SK hynix leveraging its technological edge and supply dominance to secure a premium position before competitors catch up. The move comes as rivals Samsung Electronics and Micron are also delivering HBM4 samples to Nvidia, potentially expanding supply and giving the AI chip giant more bargaining power.
SK hynix has been Nvidia’s sole supplier of HBM3E 12-layer products in the first half of this year and has already delivered HBM4 12-layer samples to the company. As the first vendor, SK hynix is believed to have entered priority negotiations with a strong premium price. However, sources say Nvidia was reluctant to accept the steep hike and is currently testing samples from Samsung and Micron.
The price hike reflects rising production complexity, increased costs, lock-in strategies with big tech clients, and the need to secure early profitability. HBM4 manufacturing is notably more challenging than HBM3E, featuring double the I/O terminals (1,024 ? 2,048), larger die sizes, and higher production costs. Some manufacturing processes, such as base die fabrication, are outsourced to TSMC, adding further complexity and expense.
Market research firm TrendForce forecasts that while HBM3E launched with a 20% price premium, HBM4’s premium could exceed 30% due to these manufacturing hurdles.
Industry analysts also believe SK hynix is aiming to “lock in” Nvidia with promises of stable supply and unmatched quality — ensuring the AI chip leader doesn’t shift significant orders to rivals. However, such an ultra-high pricing strategy could be risky for maintaining long-term market leadership.
Meanwhile, Samsung is taking the opposite route. Instead of raising HBM4 prices, Samsung has cut HBM3E prices to expand market share, aiming to boost HBM3E’s share of total HBM sales from 80% in Q2 2025 to the high 90% range. Samsung is also delivering HBM4 samples, positioning itself as both a technological and pricing counterweight to SK hynix.
The battle lines are clear: SK hynix is betting on profitability, while Samsung is pushing volume and flexibility. With the HBM market set for explosive growth, the real fight is over how the “technology–production–price” triangle will determine leadership. Nvidia’s final decision could reshape not just the HBM ecosystem, but the next chapter of the AI revolution itself.
?? : ????(https://www.autodaily.co.kr)
|
