SSD Prices Have Skyrocketed — Up 50 to 100%
By early 2026, it became clear that the memory market crisis had sharply increased the cost of SSDs. For example, the popular Lexar NM790 1 TB SSD for PS5 owners now costs $118 in the USA. Just a few months ago, it was selling for $66 — an increase of almost 50%.
The situation with higher-capacity models looks even more serious. The 4 TB version of the WD_Black SN850X is now priced at over $1000 on Best Buy, while on Newegg it costs $520. The price for the 8 TB model of the same drive has increased by 55% since May. Amazon price charts show a sharp spike starting in November 2025.
This trend was expected. The active construction of data centers for the AI industry is consuming memory manufacturers' resources, creating a shortage for regular users. As early as last fall, industry representatives warned of the first major shortage in 30 years, and by December, the cost of NAND components had already increased by 246%.
Advice urging urgent purchases due to likely further price increases should not be considered rational. Panic buying only worsens the situation. If possible, it's wiser to wait or make do with existing equipment. Upgrading or buying a new PC under current conditions is justified only in exceptional cases.