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SK hynix leapfrogs Samsung in global DRAM market with $9.72B in Q1 sales

Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 20:07

SK hynix headquarters in Icheon, Gyeonggi [YONHAP]

SK hynix overtook Samsung Electronics in the global DRAM market for the first quarter of this year, claiming the top spot thanks to its lead in high bandwidth memory (HBM) products.

According to market tracker TrendForce on Tuesday, global DRAM sales totaled $27.01 billion in the first quarter of 2025, down 5.5 percent from the previous quarter. The decline was attributed to falling contract prices and a reduction in HBM shipments.

SK hynix recorded $9.72 billion in sales for the quarter, a 7.1 percent decrease from the previous quarter due to lower overall shipments. However, its increased share of high-value products such as HBM3E led the company to secure the No. 1 position in the DRAM market on a quarterly basis for the first time.

SK hynix's market share dipped slightly from 36.6 percent in the fourth quarter of last year to 36 percent in the first quarter, but Samsung Electronics' share fell more significantly from 39.3 percent to 33.7 percent, allowing SK hynix to surpass its rival.

This marks the first time SK hynix has taken the top spot in DRAM market share over Samsung. In the first quarter of last year, Samsung held 43.9 percent while SK hynix had 31.1 percent — a gap of more than 10 percentage points.

Samsung Electronics headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi [YONHAP]

Counterpoint Research, another market research firm, also estimated SK hynix's market share at 36 percent in the first quarter, ahead of Samsung’s 34 percent.

Samsung posted $9.1 billion in DRAM sales in the first quarter this year, down 19.1 percent from the previous quarter and slipping to second place. TrendForce attributed the decline to the company’s inability to directly sell HBM to China, as well as reduced shipments of the high-end HBM3E following a product redesign.

U.S.-based Micron came in third, with $6.58 billion in sales and a 24.3 percent market share.

TrendForce projected that in the second quarter, PC and smartphone makers could ramp up production after finishing inventory adjustments within a 90-day mutual tariff suspension period between the United States and China. This would likely lead to a significant increase in shipments from DRAM suppliers.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]