Samsung defends No. 1 DRAM spot as Micron closes in on SK Hynix

Samsung Electronics solidified its dominance in the global DRAM market for the third consecutive quarter, holding a 39% share in the second quarter of 2026. However, the competitive landscape is intensifying as US-based Micron Technology closes in on SK Hynix.

SK Hynix, a South Korean rival, experienced a decline in its market share, dropping to 26% from 29% in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, Micron's share grew from 22% to 25%, positioning it just one percentage point behind SK Hynix. This shift is largely attributed to the falling prices of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a key product for SK Hynix, which affected its revenue. In contrast, Micron saw substantial growth in its DRAM sales.

China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) secured the fourth position with a 7% market share, despite a slight decrease. The company reported a remarkable 716% year-on-year revenue growth, driven by strong domestic demand and expanded capacity for conventional DRAM. Counterpoint anticipates that HBM prices will stabilize in the third quarter with the release of Nvidia's new products and may rebound next year as conventional DRAM prices rise.