According to a report by South Korean media outlet TheElec, SK Hynix is set to begin mass production at its new M15X fab in Cheongju, South Korea, four months earlier than originally planned. This move is interpreted as a preemptive response to meet the demand for HBM4 memory from NVIDIA’s next-generation AI accelerator, Rubin.
The report states that SK Hynix will start wafer input for mass production of 1b DRAM (used in HBM4) at the M15X fab in February next year, compared to the originally scheduled June launch. Initial production will begin with approximately 10,000 wafers per month, with plans to scale up to tens of thousands of wafers per month by the end of the year. Industry sources noted: "Equipment installation and commissioning are currently underway at an accelerated pace; the schedule adjustment is aimed at enabling mass production to be ramped up faster and to a larger scale."
SK Hynix is accelerating M15X’s production timeline specifically to meet NVIDIA’s requirements. The Rubin accelerator, which will be equipped with HBM4, is expected to ship in the second half of next year. SK Hynix has already completed process certification for its 1b HBM4 technology. HBM4 wafers featuring improved circuitry are scheduled to finish manufacturing by the end of this month, with final samples of its next-generation 12-layer HBM4 memory set to be delivered to NVIDIA in early January next year.
Recent reports indicate that Samsung Electronics achieved the best performance among all memory manufacturers in terms of operational speed and power efficiency during performance testing of HBM4 for NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform. Meanwhile, Micron stated in its latest financial report that its HBM4 will enter mass production as scheduled in the second fiscal quarter of calendar year 2026, with a planned high-yield capacity ramp.
NVIDIA is expected to make its final decisions on HBM4 supplier selection and allocation ratios in early next year.
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