SK hynix Co. has overtaken longtime domestic rival Samsung Electronics Co. in global dynamic random access memory (DRAM) market share for the first time, helped by the rapid growth of the high bandwidth memory (HBM) segment, industry data showed Thursday.
According to global market research firm Omdia, SK hynix’s share of the global DRAM market rose from 36 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 36.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025. During the same period, Samsung’s share fell from 38.6 percent to 34.4 percent.
In terms of sales, SK hynix reported US$9.72 billion in the first quarter, while Samsung followed with $9.1 billion. It marks the first time SK hynix has taken the No. 1 spot in DRAM market share since Samsung became the global leader in 1992.
The global DRAM market overall shrank 9 percent from the previous quarter, totaling $26.33 billion in the January–March period, amid falling DRAM contract prices and a decline in HBM shipments.
Other market trackers, including Counterpoint Research and TrendForce, also ranked SK hynix as the world’s leading DRAM supplier in the first quarter, each placing its market share at 36 percent.
Omdia noted that the DRAM market is undergoing a major shift as the HBM segment rapidly expands. SK hynix and U.S.-based Micron Technology have significantly increased the share of HBM in their memory portfolios, gaining competitive ground in the evolving landscape.
Omdia projected that SK hynix will increase the share of its 12-layer HBM3E to over 50 percent of its HBM shipments in the second quarter, and to more than 80 percent in the second half of the year.
