Chinese memory chip manufacturer Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) officially released its latest generation of DDR5 and LPDDR5X products. In response, South Korean media outlet Business Korea pointed out that the technological gap between China and South Korea in the memory chip field is rapidly narrowing, with the current gap in the general DRAM market being less than a year; in terms of technological roadmap, the pace of its new product launches is also 25% faster than the previous generation.
An even greater impact is the potential erosion of the massive revenues of South Korean giants in China. Data shows that Samsung and SK Hynix's combined sales in China reached a staggering 87.3 trillion won (approximately NT$1.86 trillion) in 2024, accounting for nearly 24% of their total revenue. CXMT now puts it more directly: its new products "will become an alternative to reduce reliance on overseas companies."
The semiconductor industry believes that CXMT's DRAM performance is noteworthy. The company claims that its DDR5 can reach speeds of up to 8,000 megabits per second (Mb/s), a 25% improvement over the previous generation's 6,400 Mbps. Standards for evaluating a semiconductor company's capabilities include its technology roadmap, yield rate (the percentage of qualified products out of total production), and mass production capacity.
CXMT's new product launches indicate that, at least in terms of technology roadmap, it has caught up with South Korean DRAM companies.
According to reports, until the end of last year, Chinese memory manufacturers such as Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) employed a "low-price, high-volume offensive" strategy, focusing on mature DRAM specifications such as DDR4, supplying low- and mid-range PCs and smartphones with low-cost, high-volume shipments. However, at the beginning of this year, after the Chinese government designated "domestic production of high-end DRAM" as a national priority, CXMT publicly demonstrated advanced DRAM with performance approaching that of major South Korean manufacturers in just 11 months, completely reversing the atmosphere in the entire industry.
South Korean media pointed out that at the "IC China 2025" exhibition held in Beijing at the end of November, CXMT showcased seven high-end DRAM products, including DDR5, LPDDR5X and various module products. This is the first time in history that a leading Chinese DRAM manufacturer has officially unveiled new products.
Thanks to China's huge domestic market, government subsidies, and the large influx of engineering talent from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, China's semiconductor industry has caught up much faster than expected.
In terms of market share, CXMT captured 8% of the DRAM market in the third quarter of this year, ranking fourth. In the NAND market, China's Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) achieved 13%, and its 270-layer NAND is approaching Samsung's latest 286-layer product.
CXMT anticipates mass production of its DDR5 and LPDDR5 series memory as early as next year, aiming to penetrate the server, PC, and flagship mobile phone markets. While its monthly production capacity of approximately 270,000 wafers represents only 42%-53% of Samsung and SK Hynix's, it is enough to create significant uncertainty amidst the global tight supply and demand for memory.
The report points out that although the US has imposed export restrictions on key equipment such as EUV to China, limiting the pace of technological development for Chinese manufacturers, South Korean industry experts generally believe that the technological gap between the two countries in the general-purpose DRAM field has narrowed to less than a year. Professor Hwang Cheol-sung of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University stated bluntly that, in terms of technological level alone, the gap between South Korea and China in memory chips has almost disappeared.
Numerous studies indicate that once China achieves full-scale mass production of high-end DRAM, it could become a key variable in the next "memory supercycle." With the advent of the 3D DRAM era, China may even further solidify its leading advantage.
ec.ltn.com.tw
An even greater impact is the potential erosion of the massive revenues of South Korean giants in China. Data shows that Samsung and SK Hynix's combined sales in China reached a staggering 87.3 trillion won (approximately NT$1.86 trillion) in 2024, accounting for nearly 24% of their total revenue. CXMT now puts it more directly: its new products "will become an alternative to reduce reliance on overseas companies."
The semiconductor industry believes that CXMT's DRAM performance is noteworthy. The company claims that its DDR5 can reach speeds of up to 8,000 megabits per second (Mb/s), a 25% improvement over the previous generation's 6,400 Mbps. Standards for evaluating a semiconductor company's capabilities include its technology roadmap, yield rate (the percentage of qualified products out of total production), and mass production capacity.
CXMT's new product launches indicate that, at least in terms of technology roadmap, it has caught up with South Korean DRAM companies.
According to reports, until the end of last year, Chinese memory manufacturers such as Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) employed a "low-price, high-volume offensive" strategy, focusing on mature DRAM specifications such as DDR4, supplying low- and mid-range PCs and smartphones with low-cost, high-volume shipments. However, at the beginning of this year, after the Chinese government designated "domestic production of high-end DRAM" as a national priority, CXMT publicly demonstrated advanced DRAM with performance approaching that of major South Korean manufacturers in just 11 months, completely reversing the atmosphere in the entire industry.
South Korean media pointed out that at the "IC China 2025" exhibition held in Beijing at the end of November, CXMT showcased seven high-end DRAM products, including DDR5, LPDDR5X and various module products. This is the first time in history that a leading Chinese DRAM manufacturer has officially unveiled new products.
Thanks to China's huge domestic market, government subsidies, and the large influx of engineering talent from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, China's semiconductor industry has caught up much faster than expected.
In terms of market share, CXMT captured 8% of the DRAM market in the third quarter of this year, ranking fourth. In the NAND market, China's Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) achieved 13%, and its 270-layer NAND is approaching Samsung's latest 286-layer product.
CXMT anticipates mass production of its DDR5 and LPDDR5 series memory as early as next year, aiming to penetrate the server, PC, and flagship mobile phone markets. While its monthly production capacity of approximately 270,000 wafers represents only 42%-53% of Samsung and SK Hynix's, it is enough to create significant uncertainty amidst the global tight supply and demand for memory.
The report points out that although the US has imposed export restrictions on key equipment such as EUV to China, limiting the pace of technological development for Chinese manufacturers, South Korean industry experts generally believe that the technological gap between the two countries in the general-purpose DRAM field has narrowed to less than a year. Professor Hwang Cheol-sung of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University stated bluntly that, in terms of technological level alone, the gap between South Korea and China in memory chips has almost disappeared.
Numerous studies indicate that once China achieves full-scale mass production of high-end DRAM, it could become a key variable in the next "memory supercycle." With the advent of the 3D DRAM era, China may even further solidify its leading advantage.
長鑫放話「不用靠外國了」! 三星、海力士緊張了 中國1.8 兆營收恐被吞 - 自由財經
〔財經頻道／綜合報導〕中國記憶體晶片製造商長鑫儲存（CXMT）正式發布其最新一代DDR5和LPDDR5X產品。對此，韓媒《Business Korea》指出，在記憶體晶片領域，中韓的技術差距正
ec.ltn.com.tw
