While we’ve seen some nasty price hikes with high-end SSDs, budgets are also being affected – and the situation is set to get worse, according to an executive at a major storage company.
This is Shunsuke Nakato of Kioxia – a major manufacturer of SSD and NAND flash storage – who is general manager of the company’s Memory division. As Tom’s Hardware noted, he spoke to Digital Daily, a South Korean tech news outlet.
As Tom’s Hardware points out, not so long ago it was possible to buy a 1TB solid state drive for just $35 in the United States. Right now, I don’t see anything under $100 for a 1TB SSD at major US retailers – and many 1TB NVMe drives cost at least $130.
The worry is that, given talk of rising storage prices – which follows RAM’s lead – these SSDs will soon become much more expensive. Nakato isn’t the only person with industry knowledge sounding the alarm, and it’s possible that while SSD prices haven’t seen as big a rise as RAM, that could change as 2026 progresses. Indeed, pressure on prices could also be felt throughout 2027.
Top 3 SSDs to Consider Now
These are my top three picks for 1TB SSDs that you’ll want to consider – although you may have to act very quickly to get some of them (one in particular). I’ve linked to US retailers to see what deals you can get there, but below you’ll also find links to purchase these SSDs in your area, if you’re not in the US.
While these prices have already increased to some extent, which can be off-putting, just keep in mind that they might seem cheap compared to the inflation the SSD market might experience over, say, the next six months.
WD Black SN850X 1 TB: the drive to buy before stock runs out
This WD drive is a highly rated NVMe SSD – we loved the base SN850 model, and there have been other versions since, like the SN850P and this SN850X, which is a slightly peppier and faster variant.
Priced at $109 at Walmart in the US, as I write this, I don’t think this SN850X will last long, given the value proposition it represents in a market where prices are rapidly inflating.
Crucial P310 1TB SSD: the cheapest you can get
If you want to buy as cheaply as possible right now, the best deal I see – at the time of writing – is the Crucial P310. It’s a snappy, power-efficient NVMe SSD, currently priced at $106 on Amazon in the US.
Again, I’m not sure it will be in stock for long at this price, mind you. Technically, it’s not much cheaper than the WD drive above – and I would definitely recommend this product over this SSD – but if the SN850X is sold out, it’s still a great drive for gamers and everyday computing.
Samsung 990 Evo Plus SSD 1TB: a powerful drive with endurance to spare
If you want to go a little more expensive, check out Samsung’s 990 Evo Plus in its 1TB version, which costs a relatively pleasant $155 at Newegg. It makes no sense compared to the WD Black SN850X in all honesty, but if it’s disappeared from Walmart’s shelves (or the price has changed), it’s a good alternative to the Crucial SSD.
Compared to the Crucial P310, the Samsung 990 Evo has a few advantages, including slightly faster performance, PCIe 5.0 support, and much better endurance (so the drive will last longer – it uses TLC rather than QLC NAND). The latter is crucial (ahem) if you’re doing a lot of writing to the disk, and this Samsung model is the best bet for longevity.
However, from a pure value perspective for the everyday user, I would still prefer the Crucial SSD at the current price (although, as mentioned, the WD drive remains the top choice, assuming it remains in stock for a while).
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