According to South Korean media outlet ZDNet, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to begin mass production and shipments of 8-layer HBM4 products to Nvidia starting in the second quarter of 2027. HBM4 is the sixth generation of high-bandwidth memory. Currently, the main HBM4 products in mass production at both companies remain the 12-layer HBM4 variant.
Adjustment background: Nvidia reassesses Rubin Ultra memory options
The new plan to add 8-layer supply is linked to Nvidia’s adjustment of memory configurations for its next-generation AI accelerator, Rubin Ultra. Nvidia initially intended to equip Rubin Ultra with seventh-generation 12-layer HBM4E products, but since the third quarter of 2026, it has begun evaluating multiple options in parallel, including 8-layer HBM4E, 12-layer HBM4, and 8-layer HBM4.
People familiar with the matter said Nvidia may adopt a mixed configuration of 8-layer HBM4 and 8-layer HBM4E depending on the scale of NVL rack-level systems using Rubin Ultra. While 12-layer HBM4 will remain the primary supply specification in 2026, the share of 8-layer products is expected to expand significantly starting in mid-2027.
Reasons for the adjustment: thermal management, yield and supply stability
Nvidia’s reassessment is driven mainly by three considerations:
Thermal pressure: HBM4’s I/O interface width has doubled to 2,048 bits compared with the previous generation, and higher stack counts bring greater thermal density and system cooling pressure.
Yield issues: The higher the stack, the greater the cumulative loss in back-end manufacturing. Raising yield on 12-layer products is significantly more difficult than on 8-layer products.
Supply stability: Overall DRAM supply will remain tight in 2027. Reducing the number of layers per stack allows more HBM stacks to be produced from the same DRAM wafer output, helping to increase GPU delivery volumes.
Supply chain progress: 8-layer products still require separate qualification
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are preparing to expand 8-layer HBM4 shipments in 2027, including securing components and materials and conducting quality testing. Both companies have already completed Nvidia’s qualification of 12-layer HBM4 products, but the 8-layer variant still needs to undergo separate certification.
Industry insiders said the market had previously expected 8-layer products to begin supply in the second half of 2026, but the schedule has been delayed. However, qualifying the 8-layer product is less difficult than the 12-layer version, making further unexpected delays less likely.
All Rights Reserved © 2026 MemoryMarket.com
