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Micron Advances Made-in-America Memory with Manufacturing Expansion in Virginia

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today is celebrating the start of 1α (1-alpha) DRAM manufacturing at its Manassas, Virginia, fab, an important step in the company's efforts to significantly expand U.S. memory manufacturing. As the only United States manufacturer of memory, Micron is uniquely positioned to strengthen America's domestic memory supply. The 1α DRAM node, the most advanced memory technology ever produced in the United States, is well suited to long-lifecycle memory for critical applications, including DDR4 and LP4 products. Micron's Virginia manufacturing expansion serves the automotive, defense and aerospace, industrial, networking and medical device sectors that depend on this kind of memory.

Senior U.S. and Virginia officials join Micron at Manassas fab to mark the milestone
Micron Chairman, President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and other executives will host the event, with remarks delivered by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott. They will be joined by other distinguished guests from the Trump Administration, Congress, the Commonwealth of Virginia and local governments, customers, suppliers, the business community and partners from area academic institutions, nonprofits and other community groups.

Micron Begins Sampling of 256 GB DDR5 9200 MT/s RDIMM Server Modules

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), today announced it has sampled 256 GB DDR5 registered dual in-line memory modules (RDIMM) to key server ecosystem enablers. The module is built on the company's leading-edge 1-gamma technology, which is capable of speeds up to 9,200 megatransfers per second (MT/s), greater than 40% faster than modules in volume production today. Micron's module employs advanced packaging techniques, 3D stacking (3DS) multiple memory dies connected by through-silicon vias (TSVs). Combined with Micron's 1-gamma DRAM, these innovations provide the capacity, speed and power efficiency required to scale next-generation AI systems. A single 256 GB module can reduce operating power by more than 40% versus two 128 GB modules, enabling greater efficiency for modern AI data centers.

Ecosystem partner validation
Micron is collaborating with key ecosystem enablers to validate the 256 GB 1-gamma DDR5 RDIMM across their respective current and next-generation server platforms. This co-validation ensures broad platform compatibility and accelerates the path to production deployment for data center customers building AI and HPC infrastructure at scale.

SK Group Chairman Warns That Customers Will Use Less Memory Unless DRAM Supply Grows

Memory makers like Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron are currently striving to find the delicate balance between supplying the world with enough DRAM and expanding their production capacity by placing large new orders for the semiconductor fabs used to produce the memory. According to SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, who also oversees SK hynix, if companies like SK hynix do not increase their memory supply, customers will find ways to use less memory by optimizing their infrastructure and software for much lower utilization. At present, hyperscalers and AI accelerator makers such as AMD, NVIDIA, and others are securing as much memory as possible. This is part of AI data center expansion, which requires more GPU and CPU DRAM to support large training runs and maintain massive model inference, now reaching tens of trillions of parameters and needing hundreds of gigabytes of system memory to host a single model for just a few users.

This demand has created a supply chain issue where memory makers are selling all of their available DRAM months in advance but are hesitant to significantly expand manufacturing capacity, despite recognizing the increase in demand years ago. Memory makers are the first to notice rising demand, and their reluctance to increase manufacturing capacity is contributing to the current memory shortage. However, they are also wary of expanding production capacity as it takes years to build new memory fabs, just as projected demand is expected to stabilize. SK hynix has ordered about 20 Low-NA EUV machines from ASML for their expansion plans, which will also support future storage production once the tools are operational. However, all of this added capacity is still years away, and we will remain in a tight situation for a little while longer.

MemTest86 Adds Preliminary LPCAMM2 Testing Support

PassMark's MemTest86 update version 11.7 (Build 1000) has added preliminary testing for the LPCAMM2 memory type, primarily for Intel's "Meteor Lake" and "Arrow Lake" chips. This means that the latest memory form factor can now be tested using a standardized testing methodology. With the rise of LPCAMM2 appearances, it is only logical that MemTest86 adds support for this form factor, which we have started seeing on Lenovo ThinkBook 14+ and 16+ and Framework Laptop 13 Pro models, especially from major DRAM manufacturers such as CXMT and Samsung. CXMT's LPCAMM2 memory uses LPDDR5X-8533 modules, while Samsung's modules are running LPDDR5X-9600 memory stacks. Interestingly, with further support from SK hynix, Samsung, Micron, and now CXMT, LPCAMM2 is aiming to become a universal standard for memory. Since the upcoming DDR6 memory is scheduled to be the main driver behind (LP)CAMM2, having a memory testing tool is essential.
Below is the list of fixes and enhancements.

Industry-Leading 245 TB Micron 6600 ION Data Center SSD Now Shipping

Micron Technology, Inc., today announced it is now shipping the 245 TB capacity Micron 6600 ION SSD, the world's highest capacity commercially available SSD. The drive marks a major step forward in rack-scale storage density for data centers and is designed to support AI, cloud, enterprise and hyperscale workloads, including next-generation AI data lakes and cloud-scale file and object storage. The 245 TB Micron 6600 ION E3.L requires 82% fewer racks to achieve equivalent raw storage capacity compared to HDD-based deployments. Built with Micron G9 QLC NAND that is at least one generation ahead of any competing QLC used in data center SSDs, the 245 TB Micron 6600 ION redefines high-capacity data center storage. Customers can now store and process significantly more data in far less space, while reducing power and cooling demands without sacrificing the performance required for large-scale, data-intensive workloads.

"AI workloads are driving massive growth in shared data, continuing the shift of data center storage share from HDDs toward SSDs. With 245 TB in a single SSD, the Micron 6600 ION makes solid state storage the clear choice for modern data centers," said Jeremy Werner, senior vice president and general manager of Micron's Core Data Center Business Unit. "This breakthrough capacity gives data center operators a critical new lever to improve rack-level total cost of ownership, especially as power availability becomes a defining constraint for AI infrastructure scale."

DDR6 Development Aims for Commercial Shipments in 2028

It seems we are not too far from the next-generation Double Data Rate 6 (DDR6) memory for desktops and servers, as memory manufacturers are working with JEDEC to establish a new standard. According to South Korean media outlet The Elec, major memory makers such as SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron have reportedly begun designing DDR6 in their labs and are gradually coordinating module development with substrate manufacturers. This collaborative effort is taking place under the supervision of JEDEC, the industry authority that oversees standard development and ensures a common foundation for design. Manufacturers could have accessed JEDEC's first DDR6 draft since 2024, but the draft still lacks concrete specifications such as finalized voltage ranges, signal usage, power envelopes, and pinout design. However, this is expected to change as manufacturers are now accelerating standard development.

Last year, we reported that the major players mentioned above had already moved past the prototype stages and embarked on rigorous validation cycles. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is the designated throughput of 8,800 MT/s, with plans to scale up to a staggering 17,600 MT/s, nearly doubling the ceiling of today's DDR5. This increase is driven by DDR6's 4×24-bit sub-channel architecture, which requires entirely new approaches to signal integrity. It also differs from DDR5's current 2x32-bit sub-channel structure. To overcome the physical limits faced by DIMM form factors at higher speeds, the industry is betting on CAMM2 technology. Early indications suggest that server platforms will lead the change, with high-end notebooks following once manufacturing ramps up.

NVIDIA Officially Launches GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU with 12 GB GDDR7 Memory

NVIDIA has officially launched its new GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB laptop edition GPU, featuring higher-capacity GDDR7 memory. This confirms earlier rumors about an upgraded memory configuration. In a quiet release, NVIDIA announced its decision to use 24 Gb (3 GB) GDDR7 memory modules, which offer a 50% increase in memory capacity compared to the current 16 Gb (2 GB) GDDR7 configurations. As demand for GPU memory remains high, NVIDIA can balance the supply of 16 Gb GDDR7 modules by utilizing a new batch of 24 Gb GDDR7 modules from partners like SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron. The company describes this move as a way to ensure a sufficient supply of 16 Gb GDDR7 memory for the remaining GeForce RTX 50-Series "Blackwell" GPUs, maintaining healthy supply levels. The new GPU SKU complements the existing RTX 5070 8 GB Laptop Edition model, providing gamers with more laptop configurations to choose from.
NVIDIADemand for GeForce RTX GPUs remains strong, and memory supply is constrained. In order to maximize memory availability, we are releasing the GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU 12 GB configuration with 24 Gb G7 memory. This gives our partners access to an additional pool of memory to complement the 16 Gb G7 supply that currently ships with most GeForce GPUs. The 12 GB configuration will exist alongside the current 8 GB configuration, and allows our partners to bring a broader range of GeForce RTX 5070 laptops to consumers.

DRAM Manufacturer Stock Prices Dip Over Google TurboQuant Announcement

Stock prices of DRAM manufacturers dipped by as much as 19% over the past 5 days, over the March 24 announcement of Google TurboQuant, a new technology that Google claims will reduce the memory footprint of AI models by a factor of 6, and improve inference speeds by a factor of 8. As of this writing, Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) dipped 19.5% over the last 5 days. Over in Korea, SK Hynix saw its stock price drop by 6%, while Samsung Electronics saw a dip by 5%.

TurboQuant is an advanced quantization algorithm developed by Google that delivers massive data compression for LLMs and vector search engines. It effectively tackles memory bottlenecks in the key-value cache and accelerates similarity lookups without sacrificing model accuracy. TurboQuant achieves this efficiency by combining two novel techniques: PolarQuant, which simplifies data geometry using polar coordinates to eliminate traditional memory overhead, and Quantized Johnson-Lindenstrauss (QJL), a 1-bit mathematical error-checker. Capable of compressing the key-value cache to just 3 bits without requiring fine-tuning, TurboQuant enables up to 8x faster runtimes on GPUs, establishing a new standard for AI efficiency.

Micron Reports Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2026

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today announced results for its second quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended February 26, 2026.

Fiscal Q2 2026 highlights
  • Revenue of $23.86 billion versus $13.64 billion for the prior quarter and $8.05 billion for the same period last year
  • GAAP net income of $13.79 billion, or $12.07 per diluted share
  • Non-GAAP net income of $14.02 billion, or $12.20 per diluted share
  • Operating cash flow of $11.90 billion versus $8.41 billion for the prior quarter and $3.94 billion for the same period last year

Micron Announces Mass-Production of HBM4, SOCAMM2 Memory Modules and PCIe Gen 6 SSDs

At NVIDIA GTC 2026, Micron announced it is in high-volume production of three products at once, all timed around and designed for the Vera Rubin platform. The headline is HBM4 with the 36 GB 12-high stack started shipping in volume in Q1 2026, built for NVIDIA Vera Rubin. It hits over 11 Gb/s pin speeds for more than 2.8 TB/s of bandwidth, 2.3 times what HBM3E offered, while also improving power efficiency by over 20%. Micron has also shipped early samples of a 16-high 48 GB variant to customers, a 33% capacity bump per HBM placement over the 12H stack. Micron also announced that its 192 GB SOCAMM2 memory modules are now in high-volume production. Designed for Vera Rubin NVL72 systems and standalone Vera CPU platforms, it enables up to 2 TB of memory and 1.2 TB/s of bandwidth per CPU, with the broader SOCAMM2 portfolio spanning from 48 GB to 256 GB.

On the storage side, Micron 9650, the industry first PCIe Gen 6 data center SSD designed specifically for NVIDIA BlueField-4 STX architecture, is in mass production as we already reported here. It boasts sequential read speeds of up to 28 GB/s and can handle 5.5 million random read IOPS, essentially doubling the read performance of its Gen 5 predecessor. Furthermore, it offers a performance-per-watt ratio that is twice as efficient.

Micron Completes Acquisition of PSMC's Tongluo P5 Site in Taiwan

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today announced it has completed the acquisition and assumed ownership of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation's (PSMC) P5 site in Tongluo, Miaoli County, Taiwan, under the acquisition agreement previously announced on January 17, 2026.

The new site will complement Micron's existing operations in Taiwan as an extension of the company's vertically integrated mega campus in Taichung, located approximately 15 miles away. The site includes approximately 300,000 square feet of existing 300 mm cleanroom space and will support Micron's efforts to expand supply of leading-edge DRAM products, including HBM, to meet growing AI-driven demand.

Memory Makers Expect Shortages to End in Late 2028, Could Pause Expansion Plans

Memory manufacturers are forecasting that memory shortages will persist until the end of 2028, when the supply chain balance is expected to be restored and memory will once again reach its commodity status. However, according to the South Korean Chosun Biz newspaper, memory manufacturers are reconsidering their expansion plans to ensure they don't overinvest in building new capacity after demand cools down. Reportedly, Samsung's internal projections indicate that demand for DRAM in forms like HBM and regular DDR will peak in the next few quarters, up until the end of 2028. This is the point where Samsung expects industry-wide demand to cool down and balance to be restored.

When the AI expansion began, memory manufacturers received massive orders from hyperscalers around the world, ordering DRAM supply months in advance. With no end in sight, SK Hynix, Micron, and Samsung started ordering more lithography tools from ASML to expand their wafer manufacturing capacity to meet their customers' needs for more HBM, DDR, and GDDR memory. According to ASML, the company estimates that in 2027, based on current order information and demand, it will deliver 56 Low-NA EUV scanners. This includes seven units for Samsung and as many as 20 units for SK Hynix, specifically for memory and storage. According to South Korean media, SK Hynix plans to install 20 Low-NA EUV units in the next two years, all designed for HBM memory and advanced storage solutions. However, as the demand is expected to stay in line with previous expansion plans, this is stopping memory makers from considering taking the fab capacity expansion further than initially planned.

Global Top Five Enterprise SSD Vendors Post Over 50% QoQ Revenue Growth in 4Q25, with SK Group Leading Growth

The widespread adoption of AI inference workloads in 4Q25 significantly raised requirements for data storage systems, according to TrendForce's latest findings on the enterprise SSD market. Meanwhile, enterprises accelerated upgrades to their general-purpose servers, while shortages in HDD supply pushed some demand toward SSD solutions. These factors together drove combined revenue for the world's top five enterprise SSD vendors up 51.7% QoQ to more than US$9.9 billion.

Among leading vendors, Samsung retained its top position, reporting nearly $3.66 billion in revenue in 4Q25, up 49.7% QoQ. The company demonstrated the strength of its vertically integrated business model. As concerns grew over potential DRAM shortages, many customers turned to Samsung because it can rely on its own DRAM and NAND Flash production to ensure stable SSD supply.

Applied Materials and Micron Partner to Accelerate HBM, NAND and DRAM Development

Applied Materials, Inc. today announced it is working with Micron Technology to develop next-generation DRAM, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and NAND solutions that increase the energy-efficient performance of AI systems, bringing together advanced R&D capabilities from Applied's EPIC Center in Silicon Valley and Micron's state-of-the-art innovation center in Boise, Idaho to strengthen the semiconductor innovation pipeline in the United States.

"Applied Materials and Micron have a long-standing partnership focused on driving higher performance and more energy-efficient advanced memory chips by pushing the boundaries of materials engineering and manufacturing innovation," said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials. "We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Micron as a founding partner at the EPIC Center as next-generation memory technologies play an increasingly vital role in the future of AI systems."

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 9 GB Variant Comes with 130 W TDP

NVIDIA is reportedly preparing to update its GeForce RTX 5050 GPU with a new variant featuring 9 GB of GDDR7 memory. A well-known leaker on X, @kopite7kimi, confirmed that the upcoming card will maintain the same 130 W TDP and thermal envelope as the current GeForce RTX 5050, which has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The current RTX 5050 uses 8 GB of 20 Gbps GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320 GB/s of bandwidth. The new model is expected to use three modules of GDDR7 memory, each with 3 GB of capacity, resulting in a total of 9 GB across a 96-bit memory bus. While the narrower bus decreases the interface width, the switch to new 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory would increase total memory bandwidth to 336 GB/s, a roughly 5% improvement, along with a 12.5% boost in VRAM capacity. The new leak also claims that NVIDIA is using GB206 as a GPU base, while the older RTX 5050 8 GB with GDDR6 used GB207 die. However, the core count remains at 2,560 CUDA cores, suggesting that lower-binned GB206 dies found in RTX 5060 and other mid-range SKUs are repurposed for the new RTX 5050.

NVIDIA's switch to GDDR7 memory likely helps the company manage supply chain procurement better, as memory modules are in short supply. Instead of using four GDDR6 modules with 2 GB capacity each, NVIDIA is switching to three modules of GDDR7 with 3 GB capacity each, reducing the number of memory modules needed for this GPU. Interestingly, memory makers like Samsung, Micron, and SK hynix could now produce more of the 3 GB GDDR7 modules, with GDDR6 being in much shorter supply, forcing manufacturers to focus on the newer memory technology while GPU makers have to adapt. This has resulted in a situation where procuring three modules of 3 GB GDDR7 memory is now easier than finding a sufficient supply of GDDR6 modules, which NVIDIA needs to secure for each RTX 5050 GPU. As we approach Computex 2026, this GPU is expected to arrive sometime during that period.

Memory Makers Shift to Hourly Contracts as AI Demand Continues to Climb

The memory procurement market has adopted a new business model with hourly contracts, where quoted prices are valid for only a single hour, necessitating a new pricing quote with each change. Memory makers like SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron are responding to the massive demand for their memory solutions with new types of contracts that force OEMs to make quick decisions to procure DRAM within a very short timeframe. This means that memory makers are requiring much faster contract settlements, as the rapid increase in demand is causing product pricing to change literally by the hour. For example, large PC OEMs, who are among the biggest customers, now have to ship PCs with one pricing, while their future products are subject to price changes that fluctuate by the hour. How sustainable and stable this market will be remains to be seen.

Interestingly, the customer DRAM market is splitting into two camps. A short list of deep-pocketed customers, including large cloud providers, major automakers, and top smartphone firms such as Apple and Samsung Electronics, retain priority access to DRAM and the best pricing negotiation leverage. Memory manufacturers like SK hynix and Micron are said to prioritize these relationships above all else by favoring buyers who can prepay or settle in cash. For the vast remainder, more than 190,000 small and medium enterprises, the situation is harsher. Many lack the cash flow and bargaining leverage to accept rapid price jumps. As costs climb, some firms are revising demand forecasts downward to avoid margin erosion. Demand outside of the hyperscaler/data center sector may be revisited downward for many companies, as consumers are less keen on spending more on products that are becoming more expensive each day.

AI Server Storage Demand Surges; Top Five NAND Flash Suppliers Post 23.8% QoQ Revenue Growth in 4Q25

The global NAND Flash industry continued to benefit from AI infrastructure build-outs in 4Q25, according to TrendForce's latest research. All in all, the combined revenue of the top five NAND flash suppliers sharply rose 23.8% QoQ to US$21.17 billion.

The primary growth driver was explosive demand for enterprise SSDs, fueled by large-scale AI server deployments by North American CSPs. Meanwhile, severe HDD shortages and extended lead times accelerated a shift in orders toward NAND solutions, which further tightened supply. The resulting imbalance worsened NAND shortages and pushed prices higher, directly boosting supplier revenues.

Micron Releases World's First High-Capacity 256 GB LPDRAM SOCAMM2 for Data Center Infrastructure

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today extended its leadership in low-power server memory by shipping customer samples of the industry's highest-capacity LPDRAM module—256 GB SOCAMM2. Enabled by the industry's first monolithic 32 Gb LPDDR5X design, this milestone represents a transformational step forward for AI data centers, delivering low-power memory capacity that can unlock new system architectures.

The convergence of AI training, inference, agentic AI and general-purpose compute are driving more demanding memory requirements and reshaping data center system architectures. Modern AI workloads drive large model parameters, expansive context windows and persistent key value (KV) caches, while core compute continues to scale in data intensity, concurrency and memory footprint.

Micron Celebrates Opening of India's First Semiconductor Assembly and Test Facility

Micron Technology, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its semiconductor assembly and test facility in Sanand, Gujarat, India. The state-of-the-art facility converts advanced DRAM and NAND wafers from Micron's global manufacturing network into finished memory and storage products. Once fully ramped, the first phase of Micron's Sanand operation will feature more than 500,000 square feet of cleanroom space, making it one of the world's largest single-floor assembly and test cleanrooms. The site serves customers worldwide to meet the growing global demand for memory and storage fueled by AI.

The facility represents a combined investment of approximately $2.75 billion by Micron and its government partners, advancing semiconductor manufacturing capabilities in India. Micron Chairman, President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and other executives witnessed the opening ceremony with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and other distinguished government officials and guests.

DRAM Market Grows 29% in 4Q25, Samsung Regains Top Spot

TrendForce's latest findings reveal that the expansion of AI applications from LLM training to inference has prompted CSPs to broaden data center build-outs beyond AI servers to include general-purpose servers. This shift has extended memory procurement beyond HBM3e, LPDDR5X, and high-capacity RDIMMs to RDIMMs across multiple densities. Aggressive additional orders have driven a sharp increase in conventional DRAM contract prices, lifting total DRAM industry revenue to $53.58 billion in 4Q25, up 29.4% QoQ.

Across segments, buyers have struggled to secure sufficient supply amid a widening supply-demand gap. This has significantly strengthened suppliers' pricing power. Conventional DRAM contract prices rose 45-50% QoQ, while blended contract prices for conventional DRAM and HBM increased 50-55%, marking an accelerated upswing across all product categories.

Micron Reveals 24 Gbit GDDR7 Memory with 36 Gbps Bandwidth

Micron chose to unveil its latest developments in graphics memory via a blog post titled "The new performance bottleneck: How more GPU memory unlocks next gen gaming and AI PCs" which explains that its latest GDDR7 memory will allow for graphics cards with as much as 96 GB of VRAM. Micron isn't the first company with 24 Gbit or 3 GB density GDDR7 memory chips, as Samsung sampled partners back in November of last year.

Samsung's 3 GB GDDR7 chips are also offering 36 Gbps bandwidth, so Micron doesn't stand out here either and this might be why the company snuck out the details of its new product in a blog post rather than putting out a press release. Micron claims that its new GDDR7 chips offer improved efficiency, but doesn't go into any details as to what this means. The rest of the blog post is mostly about the benefits of GDDR7 at higher density and speeds and the benefits it will bring to graphics cards, AI PCs and what not. The chips aren't listed on Micron's website as yet, despite the blog linking to Micron's GDDR7 product page.

Micron 9650 PCIe Gen 6 SSDs Enters Mass Production

Micron announced its 9650 NVMe SSD has entered mass production, making it the first PCIe Gen 6 data center drive to reach this milestone. The series was first unveiled in July 2025, and it features Micron G9 TLC NAND, including Micron designed SSD controller ASIC, DRAM, and Micron produced and validated firmware. The Micron 9650 delivers up to 28 GB/s in sequential reads, double that of PCIe Gen 5 drives. The drive's sequential write speed reaches 14 GB/s, while its random read performance hits 5.5 million IOPS and its random write achieves 900,000 IOPS. These numbers show 100%, 40%, 67%, and 22% gains over Gen 5. At a 25-watt power state, the drive offers double the performance of PCIe Gen 5 options. It has a sequential read efficiency of 1,120 MB/s per watt (2× better than Gen 5), and its sequential write efficiency is 560 MB/s per watt (1.4 times better). The random read efficiency stands at 220 KIOPS per watt (1.7 times higher) and random write at 36 KIOPS per watt (1.2 times improved).

The Micron 9650 supports both air-cooled and liquid-cooled configurations to handle higher performance densities in modern data centers. Micron conducted 18 months of interoperability testing across the PCIe Gen 6 ecosystem, including validation with high-port switches, retimers, and demonstrations at industry events. The drive is now being qualified by OEM and AI data center customers for deployment in AI training and inference workloads, particularly those requiring high-throughput data access for large language models and retrieval-augmented generation pipelines. The Micron 9650 is available in E1.S and E3.S form factors with E1.S available for liquid cooling.

HBM4 Validation Expected in 2Q26; Three Major Suppliers Poised to Shape NVIDIA Supply Landscape

TrendForce's latest analysis of the HBM industry reveals that as the ongoing expansion of AI infrastructure continues to fuel GPU demand, NVIDIA's upcoming Rubin platform is expected to become a major catalyst for HBM4 adoption once mass production begins. The three leading memory suppliers—Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron—are now in the final stages of HBM4 validation, with completion anticipated by 2Q26.

Samsung, supported by its strong product stability, is projected to secure certification first. SK hynix and Micron are expected to follow shortly thereafter, forming a three-supplier ecosystem for NVIDIA's HBM4.

NVIDIA to Use SK hynix and Samsung HBM4 for "Vera Rubin" Without Micron

NVIDIA's upcoming "Vera Rubin" AI systems are scheduled for late summer shipping in the form of VR200 NVL72 rack-scale solutions that will power the next generation of AI models. However, not every memory maker of HBM4 qualified for a design win, as Micron has reportedly fallen out of the equation, with only Samsung and SK hynix left to supply the precious HBM4 memory. According to leaked institutional notes from SemiAnalysis, which tracks the supply chain in great detail, SK Hynix will represent about 70% of the HBM4 supply for VR200 NVL72 systems, with Samsung getting the remaining 30% of the supply. For a major memory maker like Micron, there is reportedly zero commitment for the supply of HBM4 memory.

Interestingly, this is not the end of Micron's share of memory in NVIDIA VR200 NVL72 systems. Instead of HBM4, the company will supply LPDDR5X memory for "Vera" CPUs, which can be equipped with up to 1.5 TB of LPDDR5X, making up for the lost share with the HBM4. It is possible that Micron didn't qualify for the significant system upgrade that NVIDIA performed for VR200 NVL72, which went from the initial system target of 13 TB/s in March 2025 to 20.5 TB/s in September. However, at CES 2026, NVIDIA confirmed that the VR200 NVL72 system is now operating at 22 TB/s of bandwidth, marking a nearly 70% increase in system bandwidth, all derived from aggressive memory specification scaling that the company demanded from the memory makers.

Major PC OEMs Reportedly Exploring Chinese CXMT Memory Amid Shortages

According to Nikkei Asia, some of the biggest PC makers like ASUS, Acer, Dell, and HP are exploring alternative memory suppliers amid industry-wide memory shortages, which are forcing PC OEMs to seek supply even from Chinese memory maker CXMT. Late last year, CXMT unveiled its homegrown DDR5-8000 and LPDDR5X-10667 memory modules at the 2025 China International Semiconductor Expo. This has likely prompted many OEMs to start finding alternatives to the traditional triad of SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron, whose supply has been very limited outside AI accelerator workloads.

CXMT offers 12 Gb and 16 Gb LPDDR5X capacities, while DDR5 scales to 16 Gb and 24 Gb module formats. The 16 Gb DDR5 chips from CXMT measure 67 square millimeters, with a density of 0.239 Gb per square millimeter. The G4 DRAM cells are 20% smaller than CXMT's previous G3 generation. Reportedly, CXMT manufactures these chips using a 16 nm node, which is three years behind Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron in manufacturing capabilities. However, CXMT is progressing quickly, and its DRAM modules adhere to the official JEDEC specifications and even exceeding the specification, making them ideal for OEM PCs depending on the use case.
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