SK hynix edges out rivals with first-to-market HBM4 chips for Nvidia and others

What just happened? SK hynix is preparing to begin mass production of its HBM4 chips, marking a major step forward in memory technology tailored for AI data centers. The South Korean company has completed its internal review and developed faster, more energy-efficient memory that meets rising industry demand. As global AI adoption accelerates, the need for high-speed, power-efficient components to support the expanding data center market continues to grow.

HBM4 is the sixth generation of SK hynix's high-bandwidth memory, a DRAM-based technology built for rapid data processing in advanced computing environments. According to the company, the new chips double the available bandwidth compared with previous HBM products by using 2,048 input/output terminals, a significant increase that enables much faster data transfer. Power efficiency has also been improved by more than 40 percent, addressing growing data-center operator concerns about energy costs as AI workloads proliferate.

The new memory ...