Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from October 27 to November 2, 2025.
Samsung launches aggressive price-cut strategy to catch up in HBM competition
Samsung aims to regain HBM dominance after certification delays by offering 30% price cuts on HBM3E, which ships to Nvidia late in Q4 2025. Rivals SK Hynix and Micron secured early market share. Samsung also plans aggressive HBM4 pricing for 2026, but faces yield concerns.
Intel shifts assembly and testing to Vietnam, plans tech talent recruitment
Intel is planning to relocate part of its assembly, packaging, and testing capacity to Vietnam as part of a global strategic adjustment aimed at optimizing its manufacturing layout and boosting efficiency and competitiveness. The company has requested more support from the Vietnamese government during this transition.
Former TSMC SVP reportedly recruited by Intel to lead R&D division
Intel is reportedly attempting to recruit Wei-Jen Lo, a recently retired Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy Development from TSMC, to head its R&D division. Lo, a key figure in TSMC's process leadership who drove the adoption of EUV lithography and the "Nighthawk Force" 24-hour R&D model, spent 18 years at Intel early in his career.
Lip-Bu Tan steers Intel toward custom silicon with new engineering arm
At the Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Lip-Bu Tan detailed Intel's strategy to capitalize on the early-stage AI revolution by leveraging the x86 architecture for inference, edge computing, and AI agent applications. A key part of this strategy is the partnership with Nvidia to jointly develop multi-generational products, linking Intel's x86 ecosystem with Nvidia's accelerated computing via NVLink.
Memory shortage hits 70% order fulfillment; server DRAM prices surge 50%
The memory chip shortage has escalated into a severe crisis as upstream international manufacturers finalize contract prices for the fourth quarter of 2025. Intense competition for supply has driven the order fulfillment rate of major US and Chinese customers down to about 70%. Server DRAM contract prices have surged sharply by 40-50%, with capacity constraints also impacting lower-priority customers, whose fulfillment rates could drop below 40% over the next two quarters.
Samsung reorganizes memory line by accelerating HBM4 production at P4 plant
Samsung is converting its P4 plant to focus on HBM4 production and reclaim AI memory leadership. Starting in 2026, P4 will use 1c DRAM and EUV/TSV to secure 60,000 wafers/month of new capacity, shifting its product mix from server DRAM to high-value HBM and HBM-PIM solutions.
China's CXMT, YMTC power into AI memory super cycle
The global memory market is entering a "super cycle" driven by booming AI adoption and data center upgrades. Amidst this upturn, China's memory industry, led by CXMT and YMTC, is accelerating its technological development and capacity expansion, with both companies targeting IPOs in 2026.
Article edited by Jack Wu
