Global memory chip giant SK hynix announced that the first clean room of its semiconductor industrial cluster in Yongin, South Korea, will be put into operation ahead of schedule in March 2027, two months earlier than the original plan. This facility will focus on the R&D and production of next-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), targeting the explosive demand from the AI server market. As a core component of AI chips, HBM’s bandwidth and energy efficiency directly determine the training efficiency of large models. Currently, only SK hynix, Samsung and Micron possess mass production capabilities. The early commissioning of this clean room marks SK hynix’s first-mover advantage in HBM4 technology R&D—the product is scheduled for mass production in February 2026 and will be paired with NVIDIA’s next-generation AI accelerator "Rubin" platform, to be launched in 2025.

 

To respond to the AI wave, SK hynix has invested over 20 trillion KRW to expand its M15X fab. Upon full-scale operation in 2027, the total DRAM production capacity is expected to reach 550,000 wafers per month. Its 6th-generation 1α/1c nanometer process technology not only improves yield rates, but also lays the foundation for HBM4E R&D. At present, the global supply gap of AI chips and HBM continues to widen. SK hynix’s capacity layout is poised to reshape the memory chip market landscape and consolidate its leading position in the high-performance computing sector.

 

 

Ahead of CES 2026, Lenovo Chairman Yang Yuanqing held in-depth talks with NVIDIA Founder Jensen Huang, announcing a joint launch of a "revolutionary enterprise-grade AI server" based on the RTX Pro architecture. Integrating NVIDIA’s cutting-edge GPUs with Lenovo’s liquid cooling technology, the system aims to address AI compute-intensive demands in industrial scenarios, such as smart manufacturing, logistics robotics and AI cloud platforms. Jensen Huang emphasized that hybrid AI will drive the deep integration of public cloud large models and enterprise private models, and Lenovo’s global deployment capabilities are key to the implementation of this strategy.

 

With nearly 30 years of cooperation, the business scale between the two parties has grown fivefold in two years. Yang Yuanqing stated that in Lenovo’s transformation from the CPU era to the AI era, its accumulated strengths in liquid cooling technology, warm water cooling solutions and high-performance computing will become differentiated advantages. Jensen Huang further predicted that the cooperation scale is expected to grow another fivefold in the next two years, with a focus on vertical sectors including industrial automation and medical image analysis. This collaboration will not only disrupt the traditional server market dominated by Dell and HP, but also potentially spawn a new infrastructure standard for AI infrastructure.

 

 

The realme Neo8 has garnered attention with its "Awakening Halo" design language and flagship-level performance specifications. Equipped with the 5th-generation Snapdragon 8 flagship chip (sharing the same architecture as the Ultra edition), the device achieves an AnTuTu benchmark score of over 3.58 million. It features a 1.5K 165Hz Samsung flat display, an 8000mAh battery and 3D ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, positioning itself as a "gaming and lifestyle flagship". Its top-left matrix camera module retains the distinctive identity of the GT Neo5 series, while the metal frame and glass body design balance premium feel and durability.

 

As the first performance flagship launched in early 2026, the Neo8 targets the gap in the mid-range market. Tech blogger @Digital Chat Station revealed that competing models in the same segment generally adopt "down-clocked mid-tier flagship chips", whereas the Neo8 matches high-end models in all specifications and even reserves two hidden features. Amid the intensifying homogenization in the smartphone market, realme’s strategy of "performance overstepping + design breakthrough" may become a key variable to break the red-sea competition.

 

 

Against the backdrop of the AI wave, the global memory shortage is triggering a chain reaction. Sony’s PS6 and the new Xbox are caught in a dilemma due to skyrocketing GDDR7/DDR5 prices: launching as planned in 2027 would result in hardware costs pushing retail prices far beyond consumers’ affordability; delaying the release to 2028, on the other hand, would impose pressure from extending the PS5’s product lifecycle. Sources indicate that Sony has signed a contract with AMD for the production of custom APUs in mid-2027, but the final RAM configuration remains uncertain.

 

Valve’s Steam Machine faces even more severe challenges. The mini PC, priced at RMB 4,894, was originally scheduled for launch in Q1 2026, but memory costs now account for over 40% of the total unit budget, casting doubt on its mass production feasibility. In contrast, AMD and NVIDIA have temporarily evaded the consumer-grade memory crisis by prioritizing HBM production capacity, yet fluctuations across the supply chain persist.

 

 

To achieve a 25% market share in China’s mainland graphics card market by 2026, AMD has launched an organizational restructuring: the former graphics card sales director has been reassigned, and the CPU sales team has taken over GPU business operations. The company is accelerating market penetration by bundling 3A desktop PCs and strengthening cooperation with AIB partners. This strategy leverages the channel advantages of manufacturers like Lenovo and ASUS, aiming to break NVIDIA’s ecological barriers with its "processor + graphics card" bundle.

 

Currently, China’s PC market is in a transitional phase of technological iteration. AMD plans to capture users through price incentives and customized services. However, it faces challenges: NVIDIA dominates the high-end market with its DLSS 4.0 and ray tracing technologies, while AMD needs to strike a balance between cost-effectiveness and technological innovation. 2026 will be a crucial year to test whether AMD can replicate its successful comeback path in the CPU sector within the graphics card market.

 

 

From SK hynix’s HBM capacity race and Lenovo-NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure layout, to realme’s performance breakthrough and AMD’s channel reform, the tech industry in early 2026 presents two core trends: accelerating technological iteration and intensifying market competition. Issues such as memory shortages, public opinion crises and standard disputes are not only growing pains of industry transformation, but also breeding grounds for new opportunities. As enterprises strive to seize high ground in the AI wave, balancing innovation speed and risk management will remain an ongoing challenge.