SK Hynix said on Thursday that it had begun shipping samples of HBM4E, its next generation of high-bandwidth memory for AI, to major customers. The number that matters is the one the chipmaker is leading with: a 12-layer stack reaching 48GB of capacity, running at up to 16Gbps per pin, with power efficiency improved by more than 20 per cent over the previous generation.
The announcement is a milestone in a race SK Hynix has been winning. High-bandwidth memory is the component that sits beside an AI accelerator and feeds it data fast enough to keep up, and it has become one of the tightest bottlenecks in the entire AI supply chain.
The South Korean company has spent the current boom as the supplier most closely tied to Nvidia’s memory demand, and shipping HBM4E samples on schedule is its way of signalling that the lead is intact.
The technical claims are specific. SK Hynix said it used its Advanced MR-MUF packaging to achieve the 48GB, 12-layer build while keeping the stack structurally stable, and that heat resistance is up 17 per cent on the preceding HBM4, which matters for keeping memory running reliably inside dense, hot data-centre racks.
The company said it delivered the 12-stack samples on schedule and would work with partners towards mass production “in a timely manner”, its phrasing rather than a fixed date.The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
