SSD prices are unlikely to drop in 2026. Instead, it is highly likely that they will keep rising significantly throughout the year, with the sharpest increases in the first half. Only some consumer-grade SSD models may see a mild correction in the second half, but this will not amount to a meaningful price drop. Enterprise SSDs will face the steepest price hikes due to unrelenting AI-driven demand.
Why SSD Prices Won’t Drop in 2026
AI Demand
Supply Shortages
Market Control
2026 SSD Price Breakdown
| SSD 유형 | H1 2026 Price Movement | H2 2026 Price Movement | Full-Year 2026 YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 기업용 SSD | 53-58% QoQ increase (record high) | 10-15% QoQ increase | 80-100% increase |
| Consumer NVMe SSDs (1TB) | 20-35% YoY increase | 5-8% mild correction | 15-25% increase |
| Consumer SATA SSDs | 15-20% YoY increase | 3-5% mild correction | 12-18% increase |
| AI-Optimized SSDs | 60-70% QoQ increase | 15-20% QoQ increase | 100%+ increase |
A striking example of this price surge is that high-capacity consumer SSDs are now comparable in price to gold by weight. A Tom’s Hardware survey in January 2026 found that the average 8TB consumer NVMe SSD costs $1,476, which is significantly more than the $1,184 price of 8 grams of gold (at $148 per gram). Even some 4TB models are now on par with gold in terms of price per gram, a stark reminder of how tight the market has become.
Key Details You May Concern
Controller Shortage Impact. Not all SSD controllers are equally scarce. PCIe Gen5/Gen6 controllers—used in high-performance consumer and enterprise SSDs—are severely short in supply, while consumer SATA and PCIe Gen3/4 controllers are only moderately tight. This means high-speed SSDs will see larger price hikes and longer delivery times, while older, slower models may be more readily available, but still more expensive than in 2025.
Spot Market vs. Contract Prices. By early 2026, spot market prices were 30-50% higher than contract prices, as limited supply drives up competition for available inventory. This gap is expected to persist throughout the year, making it harder to find good deals on popular models.
Capacity Value: Larger Is Better. For consumers, larger capacity SSDs (2TB or more) offer better value per gigabyte in 2026. Lower-capacity models (128GB-512GB) are seeing larger percentage price increases because manufacturers are focusing on producing higher-capacity NAND chips for data centers, reducing production runs of smaller chips.
When Will SSD Prices Finally Drop?
Industry analysts agree that significant price relief won’t arrive until 2027-2028. New NAND factories will start contributing meaningful capacity in late 2027, and Chinese manufacturers like YMTC and CXMT are expanding production, but full capacity won’t be achieved until 2027-2028. AI demand growth is also expected to moderate after 2027 as the market matures, helping to balance supply and demand.
2026 is likely to be a year of rising SSD prices, not drops. The AI-driven demand surge, combined with supply constraints from manufacturer production shifts and controller shortages, has created a market that will remain tight throughout the year. While some consumer models may see minor price adjustments in the second half, this is not a meaningful “drop”—prices will still be significantly higher than they are today.
