The cost of computer storage is climbing sharply as the AI data centre boom drives up demand for both solid-state drives (SSDs) and, increasingly, traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). While a shortage of NAND flash memory has already pushed SSD prices up dramatically, HDDs are now being caught up too, as hyperscale data centre operators buy vast quantities of high-capacity drives and price-sensitive consumers switch away from pricier SSDs, further straining supply.

According to the article, a 2TB SSD that cost between $120 and $200 a year ago can now approach or exceed $400, while even small 256GB drives, once around $25, now cost several times that; a 1TB portable SSD the author bought for $85 last year now retails at $160. HDD prices have followed a similar trajectory, with average 4TB SATA drives roughly doubling from about $120 to $240, and 8TB models rising from around $200 to $400. Somewhat paradoxically, this makes HDDs comparatively better value for bulk storage such as backups and archives, since the actual dollar gap between HDD and SSD prices has widened even as both have risen, though the article stresses SSDs remain far better suited to operating systems and applications.