June 4, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Global DRAM revenue reached $27.01 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 5.5% decline from the previous quarter, according to TrendForce. The downturn was driven by falling contract prices for standard DRAM and a slowdown in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) shipments.

SK Hynix took the lead in Q1, with strong HBM3e shipments stabilizing ASPs. Despite a drop in overall shipment volume, its revenue reached $9.72 billion, up from Samsung, which saw a sharp decline in HBM output during its transition to upgraded HBM3e versions. Samsung's DRAM revenue fell over 19% quarter-over-quarter to $9.1 billion. Micron posted modest growth, with increased HBM shipments offsetting lower prices, resulting in $6.58 billion in revenue, a 2.7% increase from the previous quarter.

As leading vendors focus on advanced nodes, second-tier suppliers are capitalizing on unmet market demand. Nanya Technology saw strong DDR5 shipments, pushing its revenue up 7.5% to $219 million. Winbond Electronics benefited from expanded shipments of high-density LPDDR4 and DDR4 chips, growing revenue by 22.7% to $146 million, despite lower ASPs. PSMC’s consumer DRAM revenue edged down 1.4% to $11 million due to lower wafer input, and its DRAM foundry business fell 13% on weakening customer demand.

Looking ahead, TrendForce expects DRAM bit shipments to rebound in Q2, supported by restocking demand from PC and smartphone makers. Contract prices for both standard DRAM and HBM are projected to stabilize and begin recovering.