SSD Prices Surge 220% in a Year Amid AI Component Crisis, Impacting DIY Market

According to Stephen Warwick of Tom’s Hardware, the PC storage market has been reeling from the effects of the AI component crisis for over a year, with SSD prices soaring to unprecedented levels. A comparison of prices from Amazon Prime Day 2025 to the present reveals increases of over 220%. For PC builders in the DIY market, SSDs are no longer the affordable storage option they once were.

This price surge mirrors structural issues in the RAM market. High demand for AI-targeted HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) and data center NAND flash has strained production capacity, significantly reducing the supply of consumer-grade products. Additionally, Micron’s consumer brand “Crucial” has effectively withdrawn from the market, further deteriorating competitive dynamics. The SSD market is inherently more complex than the RAM market, offering a wide array of options such as M.2 NVMe (Gen 4/Gen 5), SATA III, and external drives, spanning various performance and price tiers. However, the price increases have affected all categories.

M.2 SSD Prices Triple in Just One Year

Tom’s Hardware highlights specific examples of price trends. The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB, sold for $113 (a 59% discount) during Amazon Prime Day 2025, is now priced at $363.49 with a 36% discount as of July 2026. Its retail price stands at $579.99, and it reached a peak of $465 in May 2025. This marks a nearly fourfold increase from its street price a year ago.

Similarly, the popular WD Blue SN5000 4TB, which was available for $214 (approximately 5 cents per GB) a year ago, is now priced at $449.99 (11.2 cents per GB), effectively doubling in price. Another example, the Silicon Power UD90 4TB, has risen from $209 to around $440.

Tom’s Hardware summarized the data as follows:

• Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB: $113 last year → $363.49 now (+221.5%)
• Other 4TB M.2 drives: $200+ last year → $400+ now (approximately double)

For a DIY benchmark build featuring a 1440p resolution and Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Tom’s Hardware noted that the SSD cost was $113 just a year ago, compared to $363 now. This inflation far surpasses the price changes of other PC components.

No Refuge in SATA III

Opting for a lower-performance SATA III SSD to save costs might seem logical, but reality suggests otherwise. Tom’s Hardware reports that SATA SSDs, which the publication monitors, have also seen significant price increases. While the article does not detail specific models, it notes that “SATA III drives have also become more expensive, offering little cost-saving benefit over M.2 alternatives.”

Previously, SATA SSDs had a lower cost per GB than M.2 SSDs. However, the overall demand-supply imbalance for NAND flash has driven up prices across the board, narrowing the price gap between different interfaces. For DIY users seeking large storage capacities, alternative solutions like external HDDs or USB drives may now need to be considered.

AI Component Crisis: The Underlying Cause

The root cause of these price hikes lies in the surge in demand for AI-focused semiconductors. Resources have been diverted to the production of data center-specific HBM and high-bandwidth NAND flash, significantly reducing wafer availability for consumer-grade NAND flash. Major manufacturers (Samsung, SK hynix, Micron, Kioxia/WD) are prioritizing AI product output, scaling back production lines for consumer applications.

Additionally, Micron’s effective withdrawal of its “Crucial” consumer brand has further weakened market competition. Crucial often played a key role in driving price competition in the past, but with its absence, no other players have stepped in to fill the gap. The market is now dominated by a few players, including Samsung, Western Digital, and SK hynix’s Solidigm, who wield substantial pricing power.

Severe Impact on the DIY Market

The rising SSD costs have dealt a significant blow to the PC DIY market. Combined with rising CPU and GPU prices, the increased costs of RAM and SSDs have pushed the total cost of entry- to mid-range PC builds up by hundreds of dollars compared to a year ago. This has particularly affected users requiring 2TB or more of storage, such as gamers, creators, and home lab builders, making cost-performance ratios much less favorable.

Tom’s Hardware data illustrates the tough decision DIY users face: “Should I buy now or wait for prices to drop?” Price trends in late 2026 will depend on NAND manufacturers’ investment plans and the sustainability of AI demand. However, prices are unlikely to ease significantly before early 2027.

Editorial Opinion

In the short term, SSD prices are likely to remain high well into late 2026. NAND flash manufacturers are focusing their resources on AI-oriented production, leaving little capacity for consumer-grade output. Prices could rise further heading into the New Year demand season, and DIY users should budget with flexibility in mind. The cost disparity is especially apparent in large-capacity models of 2TB or more.

In the long term, prices could normalize around 2028, when AI-driven HBM demand stabilizes and NAND manufacturers ramp up production at new facilities. However, the market structure, which has become more monopolized following Micron’s withdrawal, raises doubts about whether the “5 cents per GB” era will return. SSDs are no longer a commodity but rather a significant investment.

The editorial team believes it is crucial for the DIY community to strategize against these rising prices. For instance, one viable approach could be relying on a combination of HDDs and smaller SSDs for now while waiting for prices to drop.

References

• ” State of play: SSD pricing one year into the AI component crisis — 220% price increases are crippling the DIY market ”, by Stephen Warwick — Tom’s Hardware, 2026-07-29T10:52:51.000Z (ARR)
• Source URL: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/state-of-play-ssd-pricing-one-year-into-the-ai-component-crisis-220-percent-price-increases-are-crippling-the-diy-market