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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang attends the APEC CEO Summit at the Gyeongju Arts Center in North Gyeongsang Province on Oct. 31 last year, where he met with Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and presented an AI supercomputer, “DGX Spark,” as a gift. (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Young Taek] Speculation is growing that SK hynix may pursue a redesign of its HBM4 products in preparation for a renewed attempt at NVIDIA’s final quality (qualification) testing.
Market attention is intensifying as Samsung Electronics, a key competitor, is widely expected to receive the results of NVIDIA’s final qualification test in the near future, raising questions about SK hynix’s design strategy and efforts to diversify its customer base.
According to sources cited by Alpha Economy on Jan. 14, SK hynix has reportedly set an internal direction to proceed with a redesign of its HBM4 products slated for supply to NVIDIA.
The reported move follows SK hynix’s failure to pass NVIDIA’s third round of final quality testing late last year, while Samsung Electronics was the only supplier to clear the process. As a result, concerns have emerged that SK hynix’s leading position in the next-generation HBM4 market could be undermined.
(See Alpha Economy, Dec. 15, 2025: “[Exclusive] Samsung’s HBM4 Becomes the Only Product Among Global Top Three to Enter NVIDIA’s Final Qualification Test; Results Expected Late January or Early February Next Year.”)
Industry sources indicate that Samsung Electronics’ ongoing final qualification test with NVIDIA—currently the only one among SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron—could conclude after Jan. 20.
A source familiar with SK hynix’s internal situation said, “SK hynix appears to have concluded that Samsung Electronics may also face difficulties in passing NVIDIA’s HBM4 final qualification in the short term, leading to a decision to pursue a redesign after careful consideration. If the redesign proceeds as planned, it could significantly delay SK hynix’s ability to pass NVIDIA’s qualification test for HBM4.”
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Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK hynix. (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News) |
SK hynix, however, strongly denied the claim. A company spokesperson said, “The redesign rumors are absolutely false. No redesign has taken place, and we are currently in the final stage of optimization.” The spokesperson added, “We are already supplying HBM products to many customers beyond NVIDIA.”
According to industry sources, SK hynix reportedly failed to meet the required input/output (I/O) speed benchmarks demanded under NVIDIA’s customer specification (CS) certification process last year. Of the tens of thousands of sample chips submitted across multiple rounds, only a handful reportedly passed all stages of evaluation.
Some experts interpret the reported redesign discussion as reflecting a broader shift in SK hynix’s HBM sales strategy.
Yoon Yong-pil, an adjunct professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, “If SK hynix proceeds with an HBM4 redesign, it effectively means accepting a delay of at least three to four months compared with competitors. Such a decision would signal a strategic pivot away from heavy dependence on NVIDIA toward customer diversification.”
He added, “Up through HBM3E, SK hynix struggled to meet NVIDIA’s demand alone. Unless production capacity has suddenly expanded, diversification of supply does not fully align with industry logic.”
Earlier this year at CES, SK hynix showcased its next-generation AI memory solutions under the theme “Innovative AI Technology for a Sustainable Future,” including its HBM4 16-layer 48GB product and HBM3E.
During the event, Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK hynix, held a series of meetings with approximately 25 major customers and partners, focusing on expanding cooperation centered on HBM and other core AI memory solutions while seeking synergies across the broader supply chain.
Alphabiz 김영택 기자(sitory0103@alphabiz.co.kr)
