In context: The global chip shortage combined with many other issues has resulted in a shortage of PC components in the last two years, causing prices to rise astronomically in some cases. But now with a slowdown in PC sales, buyers can get hardware at affordable prices and SSD prices in particular have dropped and are expected to drop further in the coming months.
SSD prices have been in a nosedive since January amid a glut of NAND flash. As reported by Tom’s Hardware, SSDs have become between 15% and 30% cheaper since the start of 2023, with more cuts expected in the coming months. NAND flash memory manufacturers have been reducing their output since last year to stop the sharp drop in prices, but things are expected to get better for customers in the coming months.
As the report notes, most 1TB drives on the market are cheaper today than they were in the first week of January. That includes the WD Black SN770 NVMe SSD, which is now available for $59.99 instead of the $89.99 it was listed for just two months ago. SATA drives are also cheaper, with the Samsung 870 Evo now listed on Amazon for $64.99 instead of the $89.99 asking price in early January.
It’s worth noting that not all drives are cheaper today than they were a few months ago. Some of the SSDs whose prices have remained the same include the Samsung 990 Pro, Hynix Platinum P41, and WD Black SN850X. These are currently some of the fastest consumer SSDs on the market, meaning people who want the best can’t get the same kind of discounts as of now.
Cheaper prices were projected last year, when analysts from Trendforce predicted that the proliferation of memory chips and solid-state drives would push up prices throughout 2023.
The reason for the excess inventory is the slowdown in demand for PCs, which creates a demand-supply mismatch, resulting in an excess of 3D NAND, memory chips, and SSDs, among other components.
In the meantime, the report says that there are still some downsides to the market, with prices expected to fall further in the coming months. So while buying a new SSD now isn’t a bad investment, people who wait a little longer may be able to get better deals in the near future.