Micron Technology (MU) and SK Hynix are facing renewed competitive pressure in conventional memory after ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's leading domestic DRAM manufacturer, said it has begun mass production using a new generation of DRAM technology.

CXMT announced the development at the World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, China. According to the company, its fifth-generation platform can produce at least 50% more gross dies per wafer than its previous technology, a change that could improve output and lower manufacturing costs across parts of the conventional DRAM market. DRAM, or dynamic random-access memory, is the standard working memory used in personal computers, servers, and smartphones. Because DRAM is largely a standardized commodity, wafer-level output gains of this kind translate directly into lower cost per chip, the metric that has long shaped competition among memory suppliers.

Tighter Memory Structures

CXMT said it has reduced the spacing of key memory structures to 11.95 nanometers using a process known as quadruple patterning. Quadruple patterning builds finer circuit patterns through multiple lithography exposure steps, allowing narrower memory-cell spacing on established deep-ultraviolet manufacturing equipment. Vice President Luo Xiaodong said the company's process capability is now comparable with advanced technologies already in mass production.

Alongside the platform upgrade, CXMT introduced two 24-gigabit LPDDR5X memory products built on the new technology. The chips are aimed mainly at smartphones and other portable electronics, and LPDDR5X is a low-power memory standard designed for mobile devices and widely used in current flagship phones. The company said the products can store 50% more data than its previous equivalent chips while improving power efficiency, and both versions are already in mass production.

Global DRAM Market Share

The move comes as CXMT continues to expand its position in the global memory market. TrendForce data cited in a Benzinga report showed CXMT holding 9.5% of global DRAM revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Samsung remained the largest supplier with 39.4%, followed by SK Hynix at 24.9% and Micron at 23.3%, meaning the three incumbents still controlled roughly 87.6% of global DRAM revenue that quarter. The figures highlight CXMT's steady gains in a market long dominated by Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.

Limited Overlap in High-End Memory

The latest CXMT products are focused mainly on mobile and conventional DRAM rather than the highest-end memory used in artificial intelligence systems. Micron and SK Hynix have been directing more production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and high-capacity server memory. HBM is used alongside advanced AI processors in data centers, and strong demand from AI servers has encouraged major memory manufacturers to prioritize those products.

That reduces the immediate overlap between CXMT's latest mobile-focused products and the fastest-growing parts of Micron and SK Hynix's businesses. The competitive risk could increase, however, if CXMT expands further into server DRAM, HBM, or other premium memory products. For now, its latest launch is aimed at more traditional and mobile-focused segments. CXMT is also reportedly preparing to expand into NAND flash memory, a separate memory market used for storage in phones, PCs, and data centers.

Rapid Revenue Growth

The company reported revenue of 150.31 billion yuan, about $22.4 billion, during the first half of 2026, according to the same report. That represented an 873.64% increase from the same period a year earlier, implying prior-year revenue of roughly 15.4 billion yuan.

Micron and SK Hynix remain major players in global memory, but CXMT's latest production upgrade gives China a larger presence in conventional DRAM. Investors will now watch whether CXMT can move beyond mobile memory and compete more directly in server and AI-focused products.

This article is based on reporting originally published by CoinCentral.