SSD Prices Have Stabilized, Breaking the Upward Trend

For the first time this year, we can no longer say that SSD prices keep on rising. While some drives are slightly more expensive, others have dropped in price, which is always good news.

NAND manufacturers faced an oversupply of chips after the pandemic, which drove them to reduce production and with that the potential of soaring prices. However, demand has continued to soar. The AI race has become a significant factor, as training models require vast amounts of data. Meanwhile most modern PC games and consoles now recommend or even require fast SSD storage.

For tracking SSD prices, we've selected some of the most popular SSD models in three different capacities and analyzed how their average prices on Amazon have fluctuated over the past few quarters. Now is the time to see how things have changed as of late.

500GB SSD Pricing

The SK Hynix P41 Platinum is arguably the fastest 500GB drive on the market. While some of its competitors start at 1TB, the question remains: Is this cheaper, lower-capacity version a good deal? At one point, it could be had for as little as $41, but more often it sold for $66. Since February, it's been selling for $83.

The Corsair MP600 Pro is a drive we recommend for its sustained write speed. The 500GB version has fewer NAND chips, which halves the speed compared to higher-capacity versions, but it remains a decent option. The PlayStation 5-optimized LPX version used to sell for $53 last year, and now goes for $71.

The Samsung 970 Evo Plus was an excellent choice for systems that only support PCIe 3.0 speeds. Last year it dropped to as low as $25 and more commonly sold for $30. Before being discontinued in favor of the Samsung 990 Evo, which doesn't have a 500GB version, the 970 Evo Plus had returned to $75. However, it can still be found at similar prices from third-party sellers.

The Crucial MX500 is a top-choice SATA drive. For much of last year it could be found for $35, but now it goes for $52.

The Samsung 870 Evo is a good alternative to the Crucial MX500. In 2023 it was available for $30, and more often for $40. It peaked at an unacceptable $80 before stabilizing at $55. For those buying multiple 500GB drives to upgrade several systems, these price fluctuations are significant.

1TB SSD Pricing

Moving on to 1 terabyte drives allows us to add several models in the comparison. The Samsung 990 Pro sold for about $80 for much of last year but now fluctuates around $120.

Another high-end PCIe 4.0 drive, the WD Black SN850X, could be had for $60 in 2023. For several months it was stable at $85, and then peaked at $110 before dropping back to $90.

The SK Hynix P41 Platinum remained at $90 for most of 2023, with dips as low as $55. It now usually goes for $100 or so, and sometimes drops back to $90, making its 500GB version completely redundant.

The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX spent much of last year around $70, but the price has gradually increased this year. In the past few months it's been stable at $100.

The WD Black SN770 has been a decent option for those with a PCIe 4.0 system looking to save money. It remained at around $50 for several months in 2023, with its lowest dip at $43. It has fluctuated on a rising pattern before stabilizing at $85, but recently the average price has been $75.

The Samsung T7 Shield is an external SSD that we've been recommending for over a year. It used to cost between $75 and $90, and later $110 became the most common. In the past few months it's kept fluctuating between $90 and $130.

The Crucial MX500 1TB spent much of 2023 priced under $50, but within months, it climbed as high as $90. Lately it could be found for a few dollars less.

The Samsung 870 Evo follows a similar story: For much of last year it was a strong competitor with prices under $60, down as much as $49. Last January, it became overpriced again at $90, but then the Crucial drive caught up. These days, it usually sells for $100 – just a few dollars away from being competitive.

2TB SSD Pricing

Throughout last year we noted that 2TB drives offered better value than lower-capacity models, but this year, price changes created some exceptions. Has this trend stopped alongside the 1TB price hikes? Let's find out.

The Samsung 990 Pro was available for $140 or less for a few months last year, including a $120 Black Friday deal. It had reached as high as $190, but in the past few months, its price has settled around $170 – that's significantly better value than the 1TB model if you need the space.

The WD Black SN850X could be had for just $110 in 2023. Current prices are about $150 with minor fluctuations, so it's consistently cheaper than the 1TB model per GB.

The SK Hynix P41 Platinum spent most of 2023 at $160 or cheaper, including a few weeks at $115 towards the year's end. The price was a bit higher lately at $175, but also had dips as low as $140. Even when selling at $160, it's a better value than the 1TB model.

The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX was often available for $130 or less throughout 2023, dipping as low as $110. Last month, the price has been stable at $170, making the larger capacity still a better deal than the 1TB model.

The WD Black SN770 fluctuated around $100 last year. Early this year, it was listed at $140 but was frequently discounted to $107. Later those deals disappeared, but now things have improved a bit and $125 is the typical price point.

The Samsung T7 Shield has seen a long history of price fluctuations. It often sold for around $125 last year, with the lowest price being $100. Lately it has reached as high as $210. Now it's at $180, making the 1TB model still relevant in the market, even though it offers technically worse value.

The Crucial MX500 fluctuated between $90 and $110 last year, dipping to $80 around Black Friday. It then went from $120 at the beginning of the year to $160 a few months later, but never went above that. If anything, it's been slightly cheaper lately.

The Samsung 870 Evo price has been going crazy. Last year it cost between $100 and $120, with short dips to $90 and $80. This year it has reached as high as $200, and in July alone saw both the $190 and $140 price points. It finished the month at $150, but it's hard to tell what will happen next.

Solid Takeaways

Until last year, there was plenty of talk about declining solid-state drive prices. However, since the beginning of 2024, that trend has reversed, with drives returning to 2022 levels.

SSD prices today are about the same as they were two years ago, while games continue to increase in size. This trend is not limited to specific brands or capacities, and we don't recommend settling for drives with slower and less durable QLC flash.

Of course, you don't have to play the latest games or have all of your games installed at once, but a larger drive certainly makes things more convenient.

Your choice of storage device and its intended use also play crucial roles. For desktop PC users looking to store large quantities of photos and videos, a traditional hard drive remains a viable alternative.

For instance, the Seagate IronWolf currently sells for just $90 for 4TB. Laptop users who don't mind carrying an additional, smaller external drive might consider the WD Passport, which currently offers 4TB for $95. For PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series owners, such drives can play older games, albeit with longer load times.

If you do need an SSD, keep in mind that prices will decrease eventually as new technologies are introduced. As they say, time is money.

Masthead credit: iamgarffi