AMD is on the verge of signing a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics for large-scale supply of HBM4, the newest generation of high-bandwidth memory that sits next to AI chips and feeds them data at high speed, semiconductor analyst Jukan reports. At AMD's Advancing AI 2026 event in San Francisco, CEO Lisa Su was asked whether a substantive supply agreement was coming after the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding for priority HBM4 supply back in March. Her answer: "We're almost there." The signal was reinforced by who showed up: Samsung sent the head of its foundry division and the executive running its US semiconductor operations to the event, and the two stayed through Su's entire two-hour keynote before continuing talks with AMD's senior executives afterward. Su also said AMD's Helios AI server racks are now in full production and set to start shipping at the end of the third quarter, which raises the stakes on locking down HBM4 supply in time. For Samsung, landing a major HBM4 customer beyond Nvidia would mark real progress in its attempt to close the gap with SK hynix in advanced memory, a race it has been losing since the AI boom began. Samsung executives declined to comment directly, citing an "important meeting coming up shortly," but the body language, and Su's own words, point toward an announcement that isn't far off.
Why it matters · A definitive HBM4 deal would hand Samsung its clearest proof yet that it can win premium AI-memory customers beyond Nvidia, directly bearing on whether it closes the gap with SK hynix.
Worth asking · Samsung has trailed SK hynix in HBM for years. Would a confirmed AMD deal be the turning point, or just a consolation prize while Nvidia still buys mostly from hynix?