SK Hynix is installing a new pilot production line at its M15X facility in Cheongju, bringing online a new 1b DRAM manufacturing line designed to address surging HBM demand, The Bell reports. Equipment installation is scheduled to be completed by November with the pilot line targeting an initial monthly output of 10,000 wafers. The move highlights different approaches among memory leaders, while Samsung pursues 1c DRAM technology for HBM4 applications, both SK Hynix and Micron have committed to 1b DRAM architecture, according to Aju News. This difference reflects varying technical roadmaps as companies race to capture as much as they can from the expanding AI memory markets.

On the other hand it seems that memory price adjustments have become a widespread practice. TrendForce reports citing SeDaily and Business Korea notes that SK Hynix has entered price negotiations with customers, however, no formal announcement has been made yet. The company is tweaking its prices in line with current market trends. This hints at a unified industry shift towards pricier memory across all big-name suppliers. Micron kicked things off in September first letting its channel partners know about 20-30% price hikes for DRAM. Samsung followed by informing major customers that Q4 contract prices for DRAM products, including LPDDR4X and LPDDR5/5X variants, would rise 15-30%. NAND pricing isn't immune either—eMMC and UFS contract prices are expected to climb 5-10%. On the same note, TrendForce indicates suppliers are ramping QLC SSD production, with capacity utilization projected to continue its growth through 2026. Inference AI workloads are expected to sustain demand into 2027, potentially creating enterprise SSD supply constraints by 2026.