Core Insights - The global DRAM market has experienced a significant shift in Q1 2025, with SK Hynix surpassing Samsung Electronics to become the largest DRAM supplier for the first time since Samsung established its market leadership in 1992 [1] - SK Hynix achieved a market share of 36.9%, while Samsung's market share fell to 34.4%, marking the end of Samsung's 33-year market monopoly [1] - Despite a 9% quarter-over-quarter decline in global DRAM sales to $26.33 billion due to falling contract prices and decreased HBM shipments, SK Hynix's revenue rose to $9.72 billion, while Samsung's revenue dropped 19% year-over-year to $9.1 billion [1] Market Dynamics - High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) has been a core variable in this market shift, with SK Hynix establishing a significant advantage in the HBM3E sector through long-term technological investments [2] - The fifth-generation HBM3E products utilize a 12-layer stacking technology, achieving a bandwidth of 1.2TB/s and a maximum single-chip capacity of 36GB, primarily supplying AI accelerator cards from Nvidia [2] - SK Hynix's HBM products now dominate the global market, holding over 90% of the HBM3 segment, while Samsung's HBM3E technology has struggled to pass Nvidia's testing, leading to a sharp decline in high-priced product shipments [3] Technological Advancements - The exponential growth of generative AI model parameters has created stringent demands for storage bandwidth and capacity, with Nvidia's H100 GPU requiring 640GB of HBM3E and 2TB of DDR5 memory [4] - SK Hynix has secured over 70% of the AI server market through deep partnerships with Nvidia, with its HBM3E products being adopted by major AI projects from Microsoft and Google [4] - SK Hynix's self-developed MR-MUF technology has improved the stacking layers of HBM3E from 8 to 12, while maintaining good yield rates [5] Future Outlook - Both SK Hynix and Samsung have initiated HBM4 development, with SK Hynix planning to release samples in the second half of 2025, featuring 16-layer stacking and a bandwidth of 2.56TB/s [6] - Samsung is focusing on hybrid bonding technology for HBM4E but faces uncertainties in mass production due to compatibility issues with NAND and DRAM processes [6] - The DRAM industry is shifting from scale competition to deep technological competition, with SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron collectively holding over 95% market share in DRAM [7] Market Trends - The price cycle is showing structural differentiation, with standard DRAM prices dropping over 10%, while HBM3E prices have only slightly decreased by 3% [7] - As demand for AI servers continues to grow, DRAM prices are expected to stabilize and potentially rise, with HBM3E prices projected to increase by 5%-10% [7] - This transition signifies a broader storage revolution driven by AI, with technological innovation and ecosystem restructuring shaping the industry's landscape for the next decade [7]