What was actually said
Reuters reported on October 7 that Su said AMD continues to explore partnership opportunities with Samsung Electronics in both memory and foundry businesses. Yonhap reported that she spoke on the sidelines of AMD Gamer Day 2026 in central Seoul, alongside Jack Huynh, who runs AMD's Computing and Graphics Group. She also said AMD relies heavily on the Korean supply chain, which she called key to its data-center ambitions.
Her wording on foundry was cautious. Asked by reporters whether there had been progress with Samsung Foundry, she answered that the two companies have a "very broad partnership" overall. That answer does not confirm any foundry order.
Su's meeting with Samsung's chip chief, Jun Young-hyun, was long. Edaily timed it at about three hours and 14 minutes at Samsung's Seocho building. Seoul Economic Daily said, citing sources, that the two sides are understood to have discussed several options, including more HBM4 for the Instinct MI455X and giving chip production to Samsung's foundry. That is source-based reporting on what was discussed. It is not an announced outcome.
Memory is the firm part
The foundry talks should be kept separate from the memory relationship.
- AMD and Samsung signed a memorandum of understanding in March to expand their memory partnership. It included possible contract manufacturing for next-generation products.
- The companies said then that they would also discuss a foundry partnership, in which Samsung could provide contract manufacturing for future AMD products. The wording was "discuss opportunities," not a commitment.
- Yonhap reports that Samsung has supplied HBM3E for AMD's recent accelerators and that AMD named it a preferred HBM4 supplier for the MI455X.
- Per the March announcement as summarised in the research notes, the deal also covers advanced DRAM for AMD's sixth-generation EPYC "Venice" processors.
HBM and DDR5 are memory. Foundry work means fabricating the logic silicon itself. A Samsung memory contract does not mean Samsung makes AMD's CPUs or GPUs.
Supply pressure and long-term deals
Yonhap says the meetings come amid shortages across many memory products, which are straining electronics makers and complicating AI infrastructure build-outs. Su said AMD is "working with our customers to optimise their memory footprint" so it can satisfy more computing. She also urged memory makers to build as fast as they can.
Su also said AMD does not see this as a one- to three-year partnership. She said it values relationships lasting three to five years or more, across multiple generations. That hints at longer supply agreements, though no terms have been disclosed.
Why a foundry deal would be hard
Cryptopolitan's analysis says the deal is far from settled. AMD still makes its advanced chips at TSMC and has warned about the risks of qualifying a new manufacturer. That is a fair caution. Moving a leading-edge design to a new fab means validating yields, performance and packaging. It is a multi-year effort and not a quick supply fix.
The upside is clear for Samsung. Seoul Economic Daily noted that winning AMD manufacturing orders could bring forward an earnings turnaround for its loss-making foundry business. For AMD, a second source would be useful leverage. Both points are analysis, and neither is confirmed.
What this means for Windows and PC readers
Nothing here changes current Windows PCs, drivers or products. The nearest effects are on AI accelerators and servers, because HBM4 is tied to the MI455X and DDR5 to EPYC "Venice."
Claims elsewhere that this will lower laptop or console prices, or that shortages will last until 2027 or 2028, are not supported by Su's reported comments. Treat them as speculation. A second foundry could in theory widen AMD's options, but no source shows it would change consumer pricing or availability.
What to watch
- An announcement that names products, a process node, timing or volumes for Samsung-made AMD logic chips.
- Whether the March memory agreement becomes firm supply terms or long-term agreements.
- Any sign of AMD qualifying Samsung manufacturing alongside TSMC.
Until one of those appears, this remains an exploratory partnership with a strong memory relationship and an undecided foundry question.