Delay Your SSD Purchase: Black Friday Bargains Looming, Prices Expected to Plummet Soon

SSD Prices Expected to Drop by Up to 10% in Q4 2024 Due to Weaker NAND Flash Demand

If you’ve been eyeing a new solid-state drive (SSD) but haven’t pulled the trigger yet, you might want to wait a little while longer. According to the latest forecast by analyst firm TrendForce, NAND Flash contract prices are expected to decline by 3% to 8% in Q4 2024, driven by weaker-than-expected sales of end products and a conservative approach from drive makers due to a sluggish consumer market.

The culprit behind this slowdown? In part, it’s the cooldown in demand for AI-powered PCs, which were expected to take off in 2025 and beyond. However, coupled with ongoing inflation and limited practical use cases for AI, this has hindered the necessary upgrade cycles. As a result, drive makers are adapting a more cautious approach to meet the reduced demand.

Meanwhile, on the supply side, major manufacturers have returned to full capacity utilization in Q3, while other suppliers have increased production through process upgrades, resulting in a modest increase in overall capacity. Unfortunately, this supply glut is not being met with sufficient demand from buyers.

What does this mean for consumers?

In the short term, we can expect the price of consumer SSDs to drop by 5% to 10% during this quarter. This is a significant shift from the supply-constrained market we saw earlier this year, when prices rose due to limited availability. On the other hand, enterprise SSDs might see modest price growth, with sales remaining stable – AI-powered laptops, in particular, are expected to drive growth in this segment.

Should you wait?

With Black Friday just around the corner, it might be even more tempting to delay your SSD purchase. After all, we can expect to see a plethora of tempting storage deals during the sales. In this context, holding off on your SSD purchase might be a wise move.

To help you along, we’ve compiled a list of the current best SSDs, so you can plan your next upgrade accordingly. Who knows? By the time you’re ready to make a purchase, prices might have dropped even further!