Samsung, AMD team up on next-gen AI memory, signalling potential foundry tie-up

Samsung Electronics has officially partnered with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to advance their collaboration on cutting-edge AI memory and computing technologies. This development was confirmed on March 18, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Samsung's chip manufacturing facility in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Notable figures at the signing included Dr. Lisa Su, AMD's Chair and CEO, and Young Hyun Jun, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics. The focus of this partnership will be on supplying Samsung’s next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) for AMD’s forthcoming Instinct MI455X AI accelerators. Additionally, optimized DDR5 memory will be provided for AMD's sixth-generation EPYC processors. Jun emphasized the unique capabilities of Samsung, stating, “From industry-leading HBM4 and next-generation memory architectures to cutting-edge foundry and advanced packaging, Samsung is uniquely positioned to deliver unrivalled turnkey capabilities that support AMD’s evolving AI roadmap.” Samsung is already a key supplier of HBM technology for AMD, having previously provided HBM3E chips for AMD's MI350X and MI355X accelerators. The companies believe that their combined technologies will drive the next generation of AI systems, integrating AMD Instinct GPUs, AMD EPYC CPUs, and robust rack-scale architectures like the AMD Helios platform. HBM4, manufactured using a 6th-generation 10nm class DRAM process alongside a 4nm logic base die, promises impressive speeds of up to 13 Gbps and bandwidths reaching 3.3 TB/s. Samsung has noted, “The AMD Instinct MI455X GPU is expected to be the optimum solution for high-performance systems managing AI model training and inference,” leveraging the capabilities of the HBM4 memory standard. Furthermore, AMD stands to gain from diversifying its supply chain through this alliance, as discussions about a potential foundry agreement are in the works, which could see Samsung producing AMD’s future chips. This announcement aligns with the ongoing GTC 2026 event, where Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, recently highlighted a foundry partnership with Samsung Korea and commended the performance of its HBM4 chips for AI applications. Such strategic alliances reinforce Samsung’s position as a frontrunner in the high-bandwidth memory sector.