Samsung Electronics is set to begin shipping the world's first mass-produced HBM4 chips to Nvidia in the third week of this month. The deliveries will follow the Lunar New Year holiday and support Nvidia's Vera Rubin AI accelerator platform.
Samsung Electronics plans to start shipping high-bandwidth memory 4 (HBM4) chips to Nvidia in the third week of February 2026, following the Lunar New Year holiday on February 17. This marks the world's first customer delivery of a mass-produced version, destined for Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin AI accelerator platform.
According to industry officials, Samsung has completed Nvidia's qualification process for HBM4 and aligned the delivery schedule with Nvidia's launch plans for Vera Rubin. Nvidia expects to demonstrate the platform at GTC 2026, from March 16 to 19. CEO Jensen Huang stated at CES 2026 last month that Vera Rubin chips are in full production, with availability anticipated in the second half of 2026.
Samsung is producing its HBM4 chips using the 1c process—its sixth-generation 10-nanometer-class DRAM technology—for the DRAM cell die, and a 4-nanometer foundry process for the base die. This enables data processing speeds of up to 11.7 gigabits per second (Gbps), surpassing the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council's (JEDEC) standard of 8 Gbps. Samsung declined to comment on customer matters but noted that its HBM4 was selected for Nvidia's platform after exceeding JEDEC performance standards.
Competition with rival SK hynix is set to intensify. SK hynix employs TSMC's 12-nanometer foundry process for the base die and its own fifth-generation 1b DRAM process, potentially supplying larger volumes due to more stable yields. Samsung aims for an early market foothold through performance advantages, though achieving stable yields with advanced processes will be crucial. An industry source praised Samsung, which holds the world's largest production capacity and broadest product lineup, for regaining technological edge by being the first to mass-produce the high-performing HBM4.
