Chinese chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies doubles down on its global presence, capturing 10% of the DRAM market amid explosive growth driven by AI and data centre demands, with rapid advancements in high-bandwidth memory products.
ChangXin Memory Technologies has tightened its grip on the global DRAM market, lifting its share to 10% in the second quarter and cementing its position as the fourth-largest supplier, according to Counterpoint Research cited by TechNode. That puts the Chinese chipmaker far behind Samsung, SK hynix and Micron, but also shows how quickly the market is being reshaped by the surge in AI-related memory demand. Counterpoint’s figures, as reported by TechNode, put Samsung at 39%, SK hynix at 26% and Micron at 25%, with the three leaders’ combined share easing to 87% from 94% a year earlier.
The rise reflects a wider shift in the industry. Counterpoint said global DRAM revenue jumped 57% quarter on quarter and 385% year on year in the second quarter, driven by demand from AI systems and data centres. According to China Daily, industry expert Guo Tao said the established memory makers have channelled more capacity and research into high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, the stacked DRAM used in AI processors, leaving room in conventional DRAM. He said CXMT’s gains were also linked to improving manufacturing yields, larger capacity and more mature DDR5 and LPDDR5 products.
The company’s financial performance has moved in step with its market share. China Daily said CXMT’s first-half revenue rose 874% year on year to 150.3 billion yuan, while net profit attributable to shareholders reached 77.6 billion yuan after a loss a year earlier. Separate reporting by SemiAnalysis, cited by iCGoodFind, pointed to a strong first quarter as well, with revenue of 50.8 billion yuan and a global DRAM share of 8%, up from 3% a year earlier. That report said the company’s gross margin approached 70% in the quarter, underlining how rapidly the economics of the business have improved.
CXMT is also moving up the product ladder. China Daily said the company has begun mass production of LPDDR6 and achieved what it described as the world’s earliest commercial use of the technology in a flagship smartphone. The same report said small-scale HBM3E production has reportedly started, with Alibaba’s T-Head and Cambricon evaluating the chips. Even so, Guo argued that CXMT’s immediate priority should remain mainstream DRAM, where dependable volumes can support cash generation and fund more advanced work. That view is consistent with the broader expansion of China’s semiconductor market, which the Semiconductor Industry Association said has been fuelled by strong demand across Asia, the Americas and China. Industry watchers have also suggested CXMT could continue climbing the rankings, though its longer-term trajectory will depend on technology execution, scale and access to high-end manufacturing tools.
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