For those who’re contemplating buying a brand new SSD, chances are you’ll be receiving blended alerts. Over the previous 12 months, there’s been loads of speak of declining drive costs, but the price of many SSDs stays roughly the identical because it was a 12 months in the past. In actual fact, for those who examine costs from just some weeks in the past, you is perhaps shocked to seek out that costs have dramatically elevated. And this isn’t restricted to vacation offers. However why is that this the case?
The brief reply is, as standard, defined by provide and demand. The longer reply entails the aftermath of the pandemic. As workers began returning to the workplace, NAND producers had been left with an oversupply of chips, and consequently diminished manufacturing. Nevertheless, demand has continued to soar, with current-generation video games recommending and even requiring SSD storage.
To make sense of SSD pricing tendencies, we have chosen among the hottest SSDs throughout three totally different capacities and analyzed how their common costs on Amazon have fluctuated over the past 12 months.
500GB SSD Pricing
The SK Hynix P41 Platinum is arguably the quickest 500GB drive available on the market, as a few of its rivals begin at 1TB, however is it deal? A 12 months in the past, it price $105. At one level it could possibly be had for $41, however extra typically it went for $66. Now it sells for $75 – a rise, however not a dramatic one.
The Corsair MP600 Professional is a drive that we advocate for its sustained write velocity. With fewer NAND chips on the 500GB model, that velocity is reduce in half in comparison with higher-capacity variations, nevertheless it’s nonetheless an honest drive. The PlayStation 5-optimized LPX model used to price $76 firstly of 2023, however typically could possibly be had for $53. Now it goes for $60.
SSD mannequin | Jan. 23 | July 23 | Dec. 23 | Jan. 24 |
SK Hynix P41 Platinum | $105 | $66 | $61 | $75 |
Corsair MP600 Professional LPX | $76 | $53 | $55 | $60 |
Samsung 970 Evo Plus | $70 | $35 | $60 | $60 |
Essential MX500 | $45 | $35 | $45 | $50 |
Samsung 870 Evo | $60 | $40 | $50 | $50 |
The Samsung 970 Evo Plus is among the greatest drives for these whose CPU or motherboard solely helps PCIe 3.0 speeds. It began the final 12 months at $70, however at one level it dropped as little as $25, or extra typically for $30. Now it is again as much as $60.
The Essential MX500 is a top-choice SATA drive. It was already deal firstly of 2023 for $45, and for a lot of that 12 months it could possibly be discovered for $35, however now it is as much as $50.
The Samsung 870 Evo is an effective different to the MX500. A 12 months in the past it price $60, however since then it could possibly be had for $30, or extra typically for $40. Now it is again to $50, just like the Essential drive.
1TB SSD Pricing
Transferring on to 1TB drives permits us so as to add a number of fashions to the comparability. The Samsung 990 Professional used to price $170 a 12 months in the past, however dropped all the way in which to $60, earlier than stabilizing round $80 for just a few months. It now prices $110. One other high-end PCIe 4.0 drive, the WD Black SN850X, was about $110 in January 2023, and for some time it could possibly be had for $60. Up to now few months it has stabilized at $85.
In the meantime, the SK Hynix P41 Platinum was $150 a 12 months in the past, however for many of 2023 it remained at $90, with dips as little as $55. It now goes for $100, making its 500GB model look unhealthy.
The Corsair MP600 Professional LPX began final 12 months at an affordable $110, and spent a lot of the 12 months at $70, with the bottom worth being $68. It now prices $90.
SSD mannequin | Jan. 23 | July 23 | Dec. 23 | Jan. 24 |
Samsung 990 Professional | $170 | $70 | $100 | $110 |
WD Black SN850X | $110 | $60 | $85 | $85 |
SK Hynix P41 Platinum | $150 | $90 | $78 | $100 |
Corsair MP600 Professional LPX | $110 | $70 | $75 | $90 |
WD Black SN770 | $90 | $50 | $70 | $75 |
Samsung T7 Protect | $100 | $75 | $90 | $100 |
Essential MX500 | $70 | $48 | $60 | $70 |
Samsung 870 Evo | $90 | $50 | $80 | $90 |
The WD Black SN770 has been an honest choice for these with a PCIe 4.0 system who wished to avoid wasting cash. Beginning final 12 months at $90, it remained at ~$50 for just a few months and a lowest dip of $43. It now fluctuates round $75.
The Samsung T7 Protect is an exterior SSD that we’ve got advisable all year long. It used to price $100, however then dropped and was out there for round $75 to $90. Right now, it is again at $100.
The Essential MX500 1TB began final 12 months at $70, however spent a lot of it beneath $50, with $45 being the bottom worth. Now it is again as much as $70. The Samsung 870 Evo is an identical story: a 12 months in the past, it was too costly in comparison with the MX500 at $90. Through the 12 months it turned a stronger competitor with costs beneath $60, down as a lot as $49. Now it is overpriced once more at $90.
2TB SSD Pricing
For the previous 12 months we have been telling you that 2TB drives supply higher worth than lower-capacity fashions, however is that also true? Let’s discover out.
The Samsung 990 Professional used to price $300 a 12 months in the past, however for just a few months in 2023 it could possibly be had for lower than half of that, together with a $120 deal round Black Friday. Within the final month its worth has fluctuated round $155 to $185. Relying on the day, that is anyplace between a greater worth than the 1TB mannequin and making that mannequin nearly irrelevant.
The WD Black SN850X began the 12 months at a extra wise $190, and for some time it could possibly be had for $110. Present costs are about $150, so the 1TB mannequin remains to be choice.
The SK Hynix P41 Platinum was $260 firstly of 2023, however for many of the 12 months price no less than $100 much less, together with just a few weeks at $115 close to the top of the 12 months, and a momentary dip to $108. Final January, worth was a lot larger and uniquely constant: by no means above $160 or under $154. That is a greater worth than the 1TB mannequin, however not sufficient to rule it out fully.
SSD mannequin | Jan. 23 | July 23 | Dec. 23 | Jan. 24 |
Samsung 990 Professional | $300 | $150 | $150 | $170 |
WD Black SN850X | $190 | $110 | $140 | $150 |
SK Hynix P41 Platinum | $260 | $160 | $115 | $157 |
Corsair MP600 Professional LPX | $200 | $120 | $120 | $160 |
WD Black SN770 | $160 | $110 | $120 | $140 |
Samsung T7 Protect | $170 | $130 | $150 | $170 |
Essential MX500 | $150 | $102 | $120 | $130 |
Samsung 870 Evo | $175 | $100 | $150 | $160 |
The Corsair MP600 Professional LPX was $200 in January 2023, however then for many of final 12 months it could possibly be had at $130 or cheaper, going as little as $110. Final month its worth was in all places, between $140 and $180. The previous is a significantly better deal than the 1TB mannequin, and the latter not a lot.
The WD Black SN770 was $160 firstly of 2023, however for a lot of months fluctuated round $100, together with a dip to $76. Now it swings between $107 and $140, so once more, being a considerably higher worth than the 1TB mannequin is dependent upon the deal you may get.
The Samsung T7 Protect has an extended historical past of worth fluctuation. A 12 months in the past, round $170 was the standard worth level, however because the 12 months progressed, round $125 turned extra frequent, with the bottom worth listed at $100. Now issues are again to how they had been a 12 months in the past, so the 1TB mannequin nonetheless has a spot out there, although it is technically worse worth.
Regardless of many small fluctuations, the Essential MX500 was one of the crucial constantly priced drives final 12 months: firstly of the 2023 it was $150, however for many of the 12 months it by no means price greater than $120. It stayed between $90 and $110 a lot of the 12 months, going as little as $80 round Black Friday. Now at $130 it is not a significantly better deal than the 1TB model.
The Samsung 870 Evo additionally went from being overpriced in comparison with the MX500 at $175, to different with costs between $100 and $120, and brief dips to $90 and $80. Again to $160, only a few folks ought to contemplate that choice.
Stable Takeaways
SSDs have been getting dearer, and that development shouldn’t be restricted to particular manufacturers or capacities. For that reason, we do not advocate settling for drives that you simply would not usually contemplate, reminiscent of these with slower and fewer sturdy QLC flash.
For those who anticipate the necessity for a brand new SSD quickly, it is perhaps sensible to buy one now, notably if it is priced competitively inside its present vary, earlier than costs doubtlessly improve additional. Costs are more likely to lower ultimately as manufacturing ramps up and new applied sciences are launched. For those who do not urgently want a brand new SSD, there is not any profit in buying one preemptively, simply to keep away from attainable future worth hikes.
Picture credit score: Kina
Your supposed machine and use additionally influences whether or not an SSD is your sole storage choice. For desktop PC customers seeking to retailer giant portions of photographs and movies, a standard onerous drive is a viable different.
As an example, the Seagate IronWolf remains to be simply $80 for 4TB. Laptop computer customers who do not thoughts carrying a further, smaller exterior drive would possibly contemplate the WD Passport, which presents 2TB for $70. For PlayStation 5 and Xbox Sequence homeowners, such drives can play older video games, although with longer load instances.