Nvidia Partnership Fuels SK Hynix's Next Big AI Storage Bet

SK Hynix is deepening its strategic relationship with Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) as rapidly growing artificial intelligence workloads strain the limits of existing memory and storage technologies. Building on its role as a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to Nvidia, the South Korean chipmaker is now extending the collaboration into next-generation solid-state drives designed to accelerate data processing for large-scale AI systems. The companies are working together to develop advanced SSDs tailored for AI workloads, marking SK Hynix’s push to apply its customer-centric design approach to NAND flash storage. Also Read: Nvidia Effect: Key Suppliers Have Already Sold Out AI Memory Chips For 2025 The move reflects a broader industry shift as AI computing expands from training to inference, where storage speed, capacity, and energy efficiency become increasingly critical. NAND And High-Bandwidth Flash Take Center Stage Alongside Nvidia, SK Hynix is also collaborating with SanDisk to help establish standards for high-bandwidth flash (HBF), a layered NAND architecture aimed at meeting the intensifying demands of AI applications, according to a report by Chosun Biz on Tuesday. By combining higher speeds, greater capacity, and improved power efficiency, SK Hynix aims to overcome the limitations of current AI memory solutions. The company has divided its NAND development strategy into three core areas: boosting SSD performance through its partnership with Nvidia, advancing HBF technology with SanDisk, and developing large-capacity storage that balances performance with cost efficiency. These initiatives are focused on reducing data bottlenecks, increasing processing speeds, and supporting AI inference at scale, positioning SK Hynix as a growing force in the emerging AI storage market. HBM4 Supplies Strengthen Nvidia Ties Separately, Chosun Daily reported on Monday that SK Hynix has begun supplying its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, to Nvidia. The company has delivered between 20,000 and 30,000 final sample units that reportedly meet all of Nvidia’s specifications. The memory is now integrated into Nvidia’s next-generation Rubin GPU for final customer testing. Once Rubin moves into mass production, SK Hynix is expected to significantly ramp up HBM4 shipments. The company has already finalized overall supply volumes and pricing terms with Nvidia, further solidifying the partnership. NVDA Price Action: Nvidia shares were up 0.71% at $177.55 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Next: Meet The Engineer Powering Google’s $90 Billion AI Infrastructure Push Image via Shutterstock