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Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the world's two largest memory chipmakers, brought their latest products to this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, as demand continues to surge on the mainland.
With one of the biggest booths at the CIIE's Intelligent Industry & Information Technology section, Samsung featured its GDDR7 chip, touted as one of the world's most advanced memory products for graphics processing, as well as the HBM3E, which is designed for high-performance computing applications and artificial intelligence (AI) development projects.
SK Hynix, meanwhile, showcased its CXL Memory Module-DDR5, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) product that can increase bandwidth by up to 50 per cent and expand capacity by up to 100 per cent for modern computing and storage systems.
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The high-profile exhibition of the two South Korean tech firms at the CIIE reflects the vast demand for memory products in the world's second-largest economy.
According to a Bank of America analyst cited in a South China Morning Post report in June, mainland China currently accounts for about 30 to 35 per cent of global memory consumption. Under current market conditions, the analyst projected that China will rely more on South Korean memory chips, as its AI ecosystem grows.
SK Hynix shows its updated Accelerator-in-Memory based Accelerator, known as AiMX and used to boost artificial intelligence performance across data centres, at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Photo: Handout alt=SK Hynix shows its updated Accelerator-in-Memory based Accelerator, known as AiMX and used to boost artificial intelligence performance across data centres, at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Photo: Handout>
In the first half of this year, both Samsung and SK Hynix reported significant sales growth on the mainland amid speculation that Washington may further restrict China's access to advanced chips and other technologies from the US and its allies.
Buying activity picked up in the second quarter and was "critical in boosting Korean suppliers' DRAM sales", according to a Post report in August, citing TrendForce analyst Tom Hsu.
At the CIIE exhibition floor, Samsung also displayed chips for other market segments, including automotive and smartphone applications.