SK Hynix Overtakes Samsung, Becomes World’s Largest DRAM Producer in Q1

In a seismic shift that’s reverberating across the global semiconductor landscape, the demand for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is reshaping the dynamics of the DRAM market. SK Hynix, a key supplier of HBM to the likes of Nvidia, is riding the crest of this wave, experiencing a substantial surge in its DRAM revenue and overall performance.

According to a recently released report from market research firm Omdia, SK Hynix dethroned Samsung Electronics in the first quarter of 2025, seizing the title of the world’s largest DRAM revenue generator. This marks the first time since 1992 that Samsung has relinquished its long-held position at the top.

Omdia’s data reveals that SK Hynix’s DRAM business unit generated $9.718 billion in revenue during Q1 of this year. While this represented a 7.1% decrease from Q4 2024’s $10.458 billion, it still outpaced Samsung Electronics’ revenue of $9.1 billion. SK Hynix also secured a market share of 36%, surpassing Samsung’s 33.7% share.

The same report indicates that Samsung Electronics’ DRAM business pulled in $11.25 billion in Q4 of the previous year, a lead of $792 million over SK Hynix. During that quarter, Samsung held a market share of 39.3%, compared to SK Hynix’s 36.6%.

Despite this shakeup at the top, the DRAM market continues to be highly consolidated. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics combined account for nearly 70% of the global DRAM market share in Q1. The remaining manufacturers collectively brought in $8.195 billion in revenue, representing a 30.3% share.