Nvidia locks down memory from SK Hynix as part of $500 billion AI deal

Nvidia He said that artificial intelligence memory supply was provided from South Korea SK HynixAs the chipmaker tries to lock down a key component for its advanced processors and systems.

Nvidia said the deal, announced late Friday in San Francisco, could be worth $500 billion over several years and would include building large-scale data centers expected to come online in 2027.

SK Telecom, a subsidiary of SK Hynix, will build a cloud business using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin systems. Nvidia said it is targeting enough capacity to require 2 gigawatts of power; This shows a huge structure consisting of hundreds of thousands of graphics processing units.

With a separate agreement, South Korean giant Samsung Electronics He said he signed a memorandum of understanding with the chip designer Brotheradcom will expand collaborations across memory and casting technologies. Samsung said the deal, worth an estimated $200 billion, will help support next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure. expression.

Nvidia has been aggressively securing the supply of high-bandwidth memory required for its GPUs and systems as the AI ​​boom creates a global memory shortage. According to analysts, SK Hynix is ​​the leader in HBM production.

“The expansion will include the opportunity for us to co-develop next-generation SK Hynix AI memory, which will help us secure a stable supply of HBM memory,” Nvidia corporate vice president Raj Mirpuri told reporters.

The deal is also a sign that massive AI infrastructure builds are moving beyond a handful of hyperscalers as foreign governments and giant conglomerates get involved.

The deal was announced at an artificial intelligence summit in San Francisco with South Korean officials, including President Lee Jae Myung.

Nvidia also announced Friday that it will invest $1 billion in Naver, a Korean cloud company that builds data centers around its GPUs. Nvidia said the project will provide potential customers in South Korea and around the world with the opportunity to secure AI computing capacity before the 200 megawatts of capacity are completed.

SK Hynix, South Korea’s second most valuable company, listed on Nasdaq earlier this month as part of an effort to finance infrastructure improvements.

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– CNBC’s Azhar Sukri contributed to this story.