The AI RAM shortage is also driving up SSD prices

I thought the WD Black SN850X 2TB SSD in my gaming PC was pricey when I bought it for $173 in 2024, but now that same SSD costs $649, more than what I paid for most of the parts in my PC combined. The price on my WD Black drive nearly quadrupled since November 2025, and consumer SSDs across the board are seeing similar increases, much like with RAM:

According to price trends from PC Part Picker, NVMe SSD prices began ticking upward in December 2025, with prices on 256GB to 4TB SSDs now double or triple what they were just a few months ago, and continuing to climb.

Like with RAM, demand from the AI industry is swallowing up supply from a limited number of manufacturers, leading to a drastic reduction in the inventory that’s available to consumers. According to Counterpoint Research, the same few brands with the biggest RAM market share also control the global NAND market — Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.

NAND flash is the type of memory used for SSDs, USB drives, and SD cards. It’s significantly faster and more energy-efficient than mechanical HDDs. As a result, NAND storage is more appealing for AI companies and consumers alike.

Even so, HDDs are more cost-effective for storing large amounts of data, like the huge datasets needed for AI, which could explain why HDD prices are also on the rise. For instance, the 2TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5-inch HDD I have in my PC was $47 when I bought it a few years ago, but now costs $90.