Samsung Electronics maintained its 38% market share to rank first in the global DRAM market in Q3 this year, while SK Hynix increased its share to 29% as its revenue grew over 40% quarter-over-quarter, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research. Global DRAM revenue surged 369% year-over-year in Q3 to reach a record high, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) datacenter demand expansion and memory price increases. The growth was primarily led by price appreciation rather than shipment volume, with average selling price (ASP) reaching $1.9 per gigabit while bit shipments increased only approximately 4% quarter-over-quarter. Counterpoint Research attributes the continued memory super-cycle to long-term supply agreements (LTA) supporting prices and new large-scale semiconductor fab operations not starting until 2028.
Samsung Electronics Maintains Lead as SK Hynix Recovers Share
Samsung Electronics held its 38% market share in Q3, unchanged from Q2, to remain the global DRAM market leader. SK Hynix increased its market share to 29% in Q3, up 4 percentage points from 25% in Q2, as its revenue grew over 40% quarter-over-quarter.
Micron's revenue increased due to AI datacenter memory demand, but its growth pace lagged behind Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Micron's market share declined to 21% in Q3 from 24% in Q2. China's Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) also saw its share decrease to 9% in Q3 from 10% in Q2.
Price Increases Drive Record DRAM Revenue Growth
Price appreciation rather than shipment volume drove the DRAM market's rapid growth in Q3. DRAM bit shipments increased approximately 4% quarter-over-quarter, while average selling price (ASP) rose to $1.9 per gigabit.
Revenue for commodity DRAM products DDR and LPDDR increased 500% and approximately 400% year-over-year, respectively. High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) revenue nearly doubled, but commodity DRAM revenue grew faster, causing HBM's proportion of total DRAM revenue to actually decrease.
Samsung Expected to Regain HBM Market Leadership Next Year
Counterpoint Research forecasts Samsung Electronics' competitiveness will strengthen in the next-generation HBM market. "While SK Hynix has led the HBM3E market, its recent growth has slowed, whereas Samsung Electronics' HBM4 is receiving positive responses from customers," said Hwang Min-seong, Research Director at Counterpoint Research. "Samsung Electronics, which rebounded this year in performance, is expected to regain the top position in the HBM market next year," he added.
Counterpoint Research expects memory supply shortages and strong pricing to continue next year, as long-term supply agreements (LTA) support prices and new large-scale semiconductor fab operations will not begin until 2028.
FAQ
What was Samsung Electronics' DRAM market share in Q3?
Samsung Electronics maintained a 38% market share in Q3, unchanged from Q2, to remain the global DRAM market leader.
How much did SK Hynix revenue increase in Q3?
SK Hynix revenue increased over 40% quarter-over-quarter in Q3, with its market share rising to 29% from 25% in Q2.
Why did global DRAM revenue surge in Q3?
Global DRAM revenue increased 369% year-over-year in Q3, driven by AI datacenter demand expansion and memory price increases, with average selling price reaching $1.9 per gigabit.
