Memory supply and demand are expected to tighten further in 2027, and that shift is already showing up in contract discussions for HBM4. South Korean memory makers have recently put forward aggressive long-term pricing for sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, pointing to a steep step-up in value for the next procurement cycle.
For 2026, HBM4 is expected to be priced at around US$500 to US$550. Quotes for 2027 could climb to US$1,400 to US$1,600, which would amount to a price increase of roughly 1.8x to 1.9x. The gap suggests that vendors are anticipating a significantly tighter market balance as demand continues to outpace supply.
The development matters because HBM1. human body modelESD test model that simulates a person discharging static electricity into a component.2. High Bandwidth MemoryHBM is a stacked DRAM architecture designed to provide very high memory bandwidth. pricing has a direct impact on memory maker margins and on the cost structure of advanced systems that rely on high-bandwidth memory. With long-term contract prices moving sharply higher, the pricing environment for HBM4 appears set to become materially more expensive in 2027.