South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix has begun distributing samples of its 12-layer HBM4E (high-bandwidth memory, a type of advanced chip used to accelerate AI computing) to major global clients, including Nvidia, AMD, and Google. The company says the new chip offers more than 20 percent better power efficiency than its predecessor, with improvements aimed at AI training and inference workloads. The move comes roughly a month after domestic rival Samsung Electronics claimed the world's first HBM4E sample shipment, underscoring the intensifying competition between South Korean chipmakers to dominate next-generation AI memory supply.