If you’ve been keeping an eye on PC hardware prices lately, you may have noticed something unsettling. Alongside the [rapid rise in DDR5 RAM costs](https://stock-checker.com/articles/ram-crisis-explained-openai-deal-and-ps6-xbox-rtx-50-risks-959744.html), NVMe SSD prices are also starting to climb. The cause is the same in both cases: booming AI demand that’s eating into global memory production.
Data from PCPartPicker.com shows [NVMe SSD](https://amzn.to/4qkoxzA) prices trending upward since November, with the most noticeable increases hitting smaller-capacity drives. Popular 256GB and 512GB M.2 NVMe SSDs have seen the sharpest movement, reflecting tighter supply across the entry and midrange storage market.
The good news is that, unlike DDR5 RAM, NVMe SSDs haven’t become outrageously expensive overnight. According to PCPartPicker’s pricing graphs, most consumers can expect prices to increase by £20-£25 compared to late 2024. That’s not ideal, but it’s still manageable for most PC builders and upgraders.
In some cases, the situation looks even better. Price-tracking data from CamelCamelCamel shows that several NVMe SSD models are still selling for less than their original launch prices. Even with recent increases, years of falling NAND costs mean today’s SSDs are often cheaper than they were when first released.
That makes NVMe storage one of the few PC components where buying now still makes sense. If you’re planning a storage upgrade, waiting may only cost you more.
The contrast with DDR5 RAM is stark. Memory prices have gone from annoying to outright absurd in just a few months. DDR5 kits have risen by more than 200 per cent in recent months, driven by the same supply pressures but amplified by higher demand from data centres.
A 64GB kit of DDR5 RAM can now easily cost over £450. That’s more than a PlayStation 5, and in some cases, rivals the price of an entire midrange PC build from a few years ago. Worse, there are no signs that prices are stabilising. Every new supply update seems to push them higher.
Industry leaders warned this was coming. Back in November, the CEO of Phison, one of the largest suppliers of SSD controllers, stated that all major NAND flash manufacturers had begun raising prices. He also made it clear that the situation wouldn’t be short-lived.
According to Phison, NAND supplies are expected to remain tight for years. The main reason is the explosive growth of AI data centres, which require massive amounts of high-performance memory and storage. Consumer devices are also demanding more NAND than ever, from PCs and laptops to phones and gaming consoles.
More recently, Micron added to the uncertainty by announcing it was shutting down its Crucial consumer brand. Crucial has long been a familiar name for affordable DDR memory and SSDs, and its exit sent shockwaves through the PC hardware community. Less competition almost always leads to higher prices, especially during supply shortages.
On top of that, reports have surfaced that Samsung is considering shutting down parts of its SSD business, specifically SATA-based drives. The move would help redirect NAND flash production toward higher-demand segments, but it could further reduce supply for budget storage options.
PCPartPicker data already shows SATA SSD prices creeping up, though the increases so far have been modest. For now, SATA drives remain affordable, but they may not stay that way if manufacturers continue shifting resources toward enterprise and AI-focused products.
All of these points point to a clear takeaway for consumers. If you need more storage, especially NVMe storage, now is a reasonable time to buy. Prices are rising, but they haven’t reached panic levels yet, and many models are still good value compared to their historical highs.
RAM is a different story. Unless you absolutely need DDR5 right now, waiting may be the smarter move. Storage prices may be inching upward, but memory pricing has entered a territory that’s hard to justify for most users.
For the moment, SSD buyers can still breathe a little easier. Just don’t expect that window to stay open forever.
Data from PCPartPicker.com shows [NVMe SSD](https://amzn.to/4qkoxzA) prices trending upward since November, with the most noticeable increases hitting smaller-capacity drives. Popular 256GB and 512GB M.2 NVMe SSDs have seen the sharpest movement, reflecting tighter supply across the entry and midrange storage market.
The good news is that, unlike DDR5 RAM, NVMe SSDs haven’t become outrageously expensive overnight. According to PCPartPicker’s pricing graphs, most consumers can expect prices to increase by £20-£25 compared to late 2024. That’s not ideal, but it’s still manageable for most PC builders and upgraders.
In some cases, the situation looks even better. Price-tracking data from CamelCamelCamel shows that several NVMe SSD models are still selling for less than their original launch prices. Even with recent increases, years of falling NAND costs mean today’s SSDs are often cheaper than they were when first released.
That makes NVMe storage one of the few PC components where buying now still makes sense. If you’re planning a storage upgrade, waiting may only cost you more.
The contrast with DDR5 RAM is stark. Memory prices have gone from annoying to outright absurd in just a few months. DDR5 kits have risen by more than 200 per cent in recent months, driven by the same supply pressures but amplified by higher demand from data centres.
A 64GB kit of DDR5 RAM can now easily cost over £450. That’s more than a PlayStation 5, and in some cases, rivals the price of an entire midrange PC build from a few years ago. Worse, there are no signs that prices are stabilising. Every new supply update seems to push them higher.
Industry leaders warned this was coming. Back in November, the CEO of Phison, one of the largest suppliers of SSD controllers, stated that all major NAND flash manufacturers had begun raising prices. He also made it clear that the situation wouldn’t be short-lived.
According to Phison, NAND supplies are expected to remain tight for years. The main reason is the explosive growth of AI data centres, which require massive amounts of high-performance memory and storage. Consumer devices are also demanding more NAND than ever, from PCs and laptops to phones and gaming consoles.
More recently, Micron added to the uncertainty by announcing it was shutting down its Crucial consumer brand. Crucial has long been a familiar name for affordable DDR memory and SSDs, and its exit sent shockwaves through the PC hardware community. Less competition almost always leads to higher prices, especially during supply shortages.
On top of that, reports have surfaced that Samsung is considering shutting down parts of its SSD business, specifically SATA-based drives. The move would help redirect NAND flash production toward higher-demand segments, but it could further reduce supply for budget storage options.
PCPartPicker data already shows SATA SSD prices creeping up, though the increases so far have been modest. For now, SATA drives remain affordable, but they may not stay that way if manufacturers continue shifting resources toward enterprise and AI-focused products.
All of these points point to a clear takeaway for consumers. If you need more storage, especially NVMe storage, now is a reasonable time to buy. Prices are rising, but they haven’t reached panic levels yet, and many models are still good value compared to their historical highs.
RAM is a different story. Unless you absolutely need DDR5 right now, waiting may be the smarter move. Storage prices may be inching upward, but memory pricing has entered a territory that’s hard to justify for most users.
For the moment, SSD buyers can still breathe a little easier. Just don’t expect that window to stay open forever.