Nvidia Urges Faster HBM4 Chip Delivery

Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, has requested South Korea's SK hynix to expedite the delivery of its next-generation HBM4 high-bandwidth memory chips by six months to meet the surging global demand for advanced AI chips. This request highlights the fierce competition and need for energy-efficient chips in the AI technology sector, where Nvidia holds over 80% of the market share. SK hynix, already mass-producing 12-layer HBM3E chips, plans to provide samples of the 16-layer HBM3E by early 2025 and aims to deliver the 12-layer HBM4 chips by the latter half of 2025. The push for quicker delivery underscores Nvidia's reliance on SK hynix amidst competition from Samsung and Micron and reflects the high demand for chips to power Nvidia's AI GPUs, including the upcoming Rubin R100. SK hynix is investing heavily in expanding its production capabilities, with plans for a $6.8 billion facility in South Korea. This strategic move is part of SK hynix's efforts to maintain its lead in the high-bandwidth memory market against significant competitors.