GTC 2026 to become stage for low power memory competition

Nvidia's Vera Rubin artificial intelligence system is unveiled in an interview with CNBC on Feb. 25. Samsung Electronics' SOCAMM2 modules are above and below the Vera CPU, which is in the center. Captured from CNBC website

The upcoming GTC 2026, Nvidia’s artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing conference, is set to become a stage for competition among memory makers over low-power memory, with Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK hynix planning to showcase new server memory modules at the conference.

According to industry officials Monday, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will both have booths at GTC 2026, scheduled for March 16 to 19 in San Jose, California.

Along with high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which are key memory chips driving the progress of AI accelerators, the two companies are planning to exhibit the small outline compression attached memory module 2 (SOCAMM2).

SOCAMM2 is a module of low-power double data rate (LPDDR) memory chips, aimed at cutting power consumption to roughly one-third of conventional DDR-based modules.

While HBM is typically mounted next to a graphics processing unit (GPU) to support computing acceleration, SOCAMM2 is commonly placed closer to the CPU and is designed to improve overall system-level power efficiency.

Their exhibitions are intended not only to showcase the modules but also to highlight to attending industry officials which company is likely to gain the upper hand in Nvidia’s next-generation AI platform, Vera Rubin.

During the event, Nvidia is expected to showcase a variety of new devices for AI computing, with the Vera Rubin platform likely to be the highlight. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang previously unveiled the architecture of Vera Rubin during CES 2026 in January, and the company is expected to reveal more details at GTC 2026, including specifications, derivative products in the Rubin lineup, mass production schedules and performance.

According to sources, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, along with U.S.-based Micron, are now manufacturing and optimizing their SOCAMM2 to have them adopted starting with Nvidia’s VR200, which is expected to begin mass production in the second half of the year. The companies are competing to secure a larger share of the supply.

A rendered image of Samsung Electronics' SOCAMM2 / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Source: Korea Times News