Despite being the world's biggest memory chip maker, Samsung faced difficulties getting its high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips certified by Nvidia. After months of struggle, there is some good news for Samsung, as reports indicate that its HBM3 chips have now received clearance from Nvidia.
Nvidia certifies Samsung's HBM3 chips, but only for China
According to a report from Reuters, Samsung's HBM3 chips have been cleared by Nvidia for use in its artificial intelligence (AI) processor. However, those memory chips have only been greenlit to be used with a less sophisticated AI chip called the H20, developed for the Chinese market in compliance with export controls set by the US. The South Korean firm could start the supply of HBM3 chips to Nvidia starting August.
It isn't clear if the South Korean firm's HBM3 chips will be used in Nvidia's other AI chips or if additional tests and certifications will be required before that can happen. Samsung's HBM3E chips haven't received clearance from Nvidia yet, and previous reports indicated that the company's chips have heat and efficiency-related issues, but Samsung rubbished those claims.
AI chips need massive amounts of fast memory. HBM, which uses memory chips stacked on top of one another, offers the speed and capacity that AI chips need. They were first used in 2013 but weren't popular back then. Over the past 3-4 years, HBM chips have been in massive demand due to the current boom in the AI market. They help GPUs perform complex tasks for AI and Generative AI-related features, like the ones showcased in the video below.
Currently, only three brands make HBM chips: Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix. Although Nvidia has already certified HBM3 chips from Micron and SK Hynix, there is still a shortage of those chips, so Nvidia is keen to certify HBM3 chips from Samsung. Nvidia stands to benefit from this clearance as it will broaden the supply chain.
Nvidia's H20 GPU is significantly slower than the H100, which is its current flagship AI chip for non-China markets. Its sales were reportedly slow earlier, but they have picked up recently as it is priced lower than Huawei's homegrown AI chip. SK Hynix's HBM3E chips have reportedly cleared Nvidia's tests and begun shipping.
