I was saving up for a 2TB NVMe SSD, and prices seemed reasonable before 2026 started. Now, similar drives are much more expensive, so I'm wondering what caused the sudden increase. Is this mainly because of AI data centers and memory shortages, and is there a realistic chance prices will come back down?
3 Answers
The increase is painful across different capacities. If a 1TB upgrade is already over your budget, waiting for a sale or temporarily freeing space may be more sensible than paying an inflated price. Prices could drop later, but there’s no guarantee they’ll return to the levels seen before the shortage.
I wouldn’t count on prices returning to the old lows quickly. Storage prices may eventually improve as supply catches up, but the timing is uncertain, and manufacturers may prioritize enterprise customers. If you need one now, compare several models and consider a smaller drive or a reputable used SSD, but thoroughly test a used drive before storing anything important on it.
It’s probably a combination of data-center demand, production and material constraints, and manufacturers adjusting output to protect their margins. Tariffs and other trade costs can also push retail prices higher depending on where the drive was made and sold.
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