SK Hynix Tops DRAM Market in Q3, Maintains No. 1 Position for Three Consecutive Quarters

According to Counterpoint Research
SK Hynix Achieves 35% Market Share by Sales
Samsung Closes the Gap with 34%
Samsung Reclaims Top Spot in Overall Market Including NAND

SK Hynix maintained its position as the global leader in the DRAM market for the third consecutive quarter in the third quarter of this year.

On the 22nd, visitors attending the "2025 Semiconductor Expo" held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are viewing SK Hynix's exhibit related to HBM4. 2025.10.22 Photo by Yoon Dongju

According to global market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 29th, SK Hynix recorded DRAM sales of 13.7 billion dollars (approximately 19.6 trillion won) in the third quarter.

As a result, SK Hynix achieved a 35% market share in the DRAM market by sales in the third quarter, followed by Samsung Electronics with 34%.

The gap between the two companies narrowed significantly from 6 percentage points in the previous quarter to just over 1 percentage point.

In the first quarter, SK Hynix overtook Samsung Electronics to become the global No. 1 in DRAM for the first time in 33 years, driven by its overwhelming market share in high bandwidth memory (HBM). Although HBM accounts for only around 20% of SK Hynix's total DRAM shipments, it is estimated to generate 40% of the company's DRAM revenue.

However, in the overall memory market, which includes both DRAM and NAND flash, Samsung Electronics reclaimed the top spot from SK Hynix in the third quarter.

Counterpoint Research analyzed, "Although SK Hynix ceded the No. 1 position in the memory market to Samsung Electronics this quarter, it was able to maintain its lead in the DRAM market thanks to strong performance in both HBM and general-purpose DRAM." The firm added, "SK Hynix is firmly in first place in the HBM segment with a 58% market share, and strong results are expected in the fourth quarter as demand for AI memory continues to surge."