Samsung HBM memory chips reportedly failed Nvidia tests due to heat and power consumption issues

Samsung Electronics' latest high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip has not passed Nvidia's test, Reuters reported on May 24. Three people familiar with the matter said the company's chips were affected by heat and power consumption issues.

The issues reportedly affected Samsung's HBM3 chips, the fourth-generation HBM standard currently most commonly used in AI GPUs. The problems also affected the fifth-generation HBM3E chips.

Samsung said in a statement that HBM is a custom memory product that requires "an optimization process based on customer needs," adding that the company is optimizing its products through close collaboration with customers. It declined to comment on specific customers. Nvidia declined to comment.

Samsung has been struggling to pass Nvidia's tests for HBM3 and HBM3E since last year, three sources said. The failed test results of Samsung's 8-layer and 12-layer HBM3E chips were announced in April, according to two people familiar with the matter.

It was unclear whether the problems could be resolved quickly, but three sources said the failure to meet Nvidia's demands had increased industry and investor concerns that Samsung could fall further behind rivals SK Hynix and Micron Technology.