Nvidia's Jensen Huang Expresses Confidence in Samsung's HBM Development at CES 2025

By Kim Boram

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) -- During a recent press event at CES 2025, Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia Corp., shared an optimistic outlook on Samsung Electronics' ability to supply its high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips to Nvidia. Huang stated, "They are working on it. They're gonna succeed. No question," expressing his confidence in Samsung's progress in the critical memory segment.

He emphasized, "I have confidence that Samsung will succeed with HBM. I have confidence like, tomorrow is Wednesday." This statement comes amidst Samsung's ongoing challenges with its HBM3E chips passing the stringent quality tests set by Nvidia. In contrast, Samsung's local competitor, SK hynix Inc., has recently commenced mass production of advanced 12-layer HBM3E chips, showcasing the competitive landscape.

Huang's remarks align with Samsung's announcement in late October, which indicated it has made "meaningful progress" toward meeting quality testing standards for a "major customer," widely believed to be Nvidia. The GPUs developed by Nvidia play a crucial role in powering AI technologies, making the success of Samsung's memory offerings vital for the partnership between the two tech giants.

Confidence in Samsung's Memory History

In the same event, Huang expressed strong belief in Samsung's historical achievements in memory technology, particularly in the HBM sector, stating, "Remember, Samsung created HBM. Originally, the very first HBM memory that Nvidia has ever used was from Samsung." This acknowledgment of Samsung's foundational role in HBM development reinforces the bond between the companies.

Huang elaborated on Samsung's current challenges, describing them as something that can be overcome with the right engineering. He asserted, "They have to engineer a new design. But they can do it. They are working very fast. They're very committed to do it." This sentiment reflects a shared commitment between Nvidia and Samsung to advance memory technology, which is integral to the future of computing.

Industry Implications for High Bandwidth Memory

As HBM continues to be a critical component of computing power, supporting Nvidia's GPUs essential for AI and other advanced applications, Huang highlighted the importance of both Samsung and SK hynix as key suppliers. "As you know, SK and Samsung are two of the largest suppliers to Nvidia," he noted, reinforcing the critical nature of these partnerships.

During the CES 2025 event, which commenced on January 7 and is set to run for four days, Huang also shared his intention to meet with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who is expected to attend the annual technology showcase. He expressed anticipation for this meeting, signaling ongoing dialogue and collaboration within the industry.

Nvidia, Samsung, HBM