[News] Samsung Delivers First-Ever Commercial HBM4, Boosting Speeds from 11.7 Gbps to 13 Gbps

Shortly after Micron dismissed HBM4 sidelined rumors, another memory giant, Samsung, announces that it starts HBM4 mass production, shipping the first commercial units and taking an early lead in the market. Using its advanced 6th-gen 10nm-class (1c) DRAM and 4nm logic die processes, the company hits high yields and peak performance from the start, with no redesigns needed, according to its press release.

Notably, Samsung highlights that its HBM4 delivers a steady 11.7 Gbps processing speed, roughly 46% faster than the 8 Gbps industry standard. This also marks a 1.22× increase over HBM3E, which maxed out at 9.6 Gbps, and performance can be pushed further to 13 Gbps, the company says.

Meanwhile, total memory bandwidth per single stack has also surged 2.7× compared to HBM3E, reaching a maximum of 3.3 TB/s, reinforcing HBM4’s leadership in high-performance computing, according to Samsung.

For now, Samsung has rolled out 12-layer HBM4, offering 24 GB to 36 GB capacities, the company says. Looking ahead, 16-layer stacks will expand the lineup up to 48 GB, ensuring the memory giant stays aligned with customer needs and timelines.

More detailed specs have also been revealed: Samsung’s HBM4, according to its press release, delivers a 40% boost in power efficiency thanks to low-voltage TSV technology and optimized power distribution networks, while thermal resistance rises 10% and heat dissipation improves 30% over HBM3E.

HBM4E Samples Coming 2H26, Custom HBM Follows

Building on this momentum, ZDNet notes that Samsung Electronics expects HBM sales to more than triple in 2026 compared with 2025 amid current market trends, and is proactively ramping up HBM4 production capacity.

Following the successful market launch of HBM4, sampling of HBM4E is slated for the second half of 2026, while custom HBM samples are set to reach customers in 2027, tailored to their specifications, Samsung states.

On the other hand, in early January, Samsung’s rival, SK hynix, showcased the industry’s first 16-Hi HBM4 memory package at CES 2026, highlighting densities made possible by its MR-MUF molding technology and the 2,048-bit interface of HBM4, as noted by Tom’s Hardware. The company reportedly said its HBM4 stacks operate at 10 GT/s—25% faster than the JEDEC standard.

Read more

• [News] Samsung HBM4 Reportedly to Ship First After Lunar New Year, Initial Share Projected at Mid-20%
• [News] SK hynix Reportedly to Supply About Two-Thirds of NVIDIA HBM4; Samsung Targets Early Delivery

(Photo credit: Samsung)