Artificial‑intelligence workloads are squeezing the same handful of NAND flash makers that dominate the RAM market, and the ripple effect is hitting consumers hard. Since December 2025, prices for NVMe SSDs have been on a steep upward trajectory, according to data from PC Part Picker. A 2TB WD Black SN850X that cost $173 in 2024 now lists for $649, a nearly four‑fold increase. Samsung’s flagship 990 Pro 4TB, once $320, is approaching the $1,000 mark.

External SSDs haven’t escaped the surge. SanDisk drives sold at the Apple Store saw a 200 percent price jump in March. Sony announced it is suspending orders for its SD and CFexpress cards as inventory dries up. Modular PC maker Framework warned customers that its existing storage stock is depleting, prompting further price hikes.

Hard‑disk drives, traditionally the cheaper option for massive data sets, are also feeling the pressure. A Seagate 2TB Barracuda, purchased for $47 a few years ago, now costs $90. Western Digital and Seagate reportedly ran out of most of their 2026 inventory by February, underscoring how even slower‑moving storage is in short supply.

The root cause lies in the AI sector’s appetite for high‑speed, energy‑efficient memory. NAND flash, the technology behind SSDs, USB drives and SD cards, powers the massive datasets AI models require. Companies such as OpenAI and other large‑scale AI labs are buying up available NAND, leaving less for the consumer market.

Three manufacturers—Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron—control the majority of the global NAND supply. Counterpoint Research notes that these same firms dominate the RAM market, meaning a single supply shock reverberates across both memory types. Micron, which exited the consumer RAM and SSD markets last year, now reports that “NAND demand is significantly in excess of our available supply for the foreseeable future,” and its NAND revenue surged 169 percent year‑over‑year.

While SSDs offer speed and lower power draw, HDDs remain cost‑effective for storing the colossal datasets AI training demands, which may explain why HDD prices are climbing alongside SSDs. The combined effect is a sharp increase in overall storage costs for PC builders, gamers and ordinary users who need to upgrade or expand their storage.

Industry analysts warn that the trend could persist as AI adoption widens. With manufacturers struggling to scale NAND production quickly enough, consumers may continue to see double‑digit price hikes throughout 2026 and beyond.

Used: News Factory APP - news discovery and automation - ChatGPT for Business