ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China´s leading DRAM supplier, is reportedly preparing a significant reorganization of its manufacturing priorities, potentially scaling back DDR4 production to make way for enterprise-focused High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM3). Sources suggest that by mid-2026, CXMT´s factories could largely repurpose existing capacity toward DDR5 and HBM3, positioning the company at the forefront of advanced memory technologies. Company insiders predict that by the end of 2025, DDR5 memory—alongside LPDDR4 and LPDDR5—will account for over 60 percent of CXMT´s output, marking a dramatic pivot in product emphasis.
This accelerated shift is believed to be driven by directives from the Chinese government, which has been pushing domestic chipmakers to prioritize technologies critical to national interests, especially those relevant to Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure. According to a recent DigiTimes Asia report, CXMT began mass-producing DDR4 as late as 2024, but is already expected to issue a DDR4 end-of-life notice by the third quarter of 2025. The abrupt retooling has caught many industry observers by surprise, and ripples have already been felt in the local market; news of CXMT´s exit from DDR4 production has led to a doubling in the price of comparable Nanya 8 Gb DDR4 chips within China.
Despite an ambitious outlook, CXMT´s transition to DDR5 faces immediate hurdles. Recent internal reports reveal that the company is contending with technical challenges around yield and reliability, with early DDR5 samples reportedly experiencing unstable performance at temperatures above 60°C (140°F). These quality control issues could impact CXMT´s ability to scale effectively, particularly as demand grows for reliable high-bandwidth memory in data-intensive sectors. Nevertheless, the company´s rapid strategy shift underscores both its alignment with national policy objectives and the broader race to secure technological leadership within memory manufacturing.
