AI-Era Shortages Keep SSD Prices Elevated Across Consumer Storage

Tom's Hardware's pricing survey points to large year-on-year increases across several well-known SSD products, including both NVMe and SATA models. The article frames the move as part of the same broader memory squeeze affecting DRAM, with AI infrastructure demand, tighter component availability and weaker consumer bargaining power all feeding into higher storage costs. It also notes that Micron's retreat from the Crucial consumer business removes one more recognizable competitor from the field. While the piece is focused on retail examples rather than factory contract data, it still supports the view that SSD affordability remains under pressure and that NAND-related pricing has stayed elevated for PC buyers.