At a time when SSD prices are completely wild and almost guaranteed to get even worse, it’s hard to shop for PC storage. There used to be a sweet spot for cost per terabyte, but that sweet spot is now long gone.
As we adapt to changing SSD prices, there’s only one way to really combat the situation, and it might cost you more money upfront. That’s why I’m here to tell you to spend upwards of $350 on a bigger drive, and I’ll explain exactly why it’ll be worth it.
It’s time to reframe how we view SSD prices
At least for now.
The so-called RAM-pocalypse isn’t just limited to RAM. NAND flash memory used in SSDs is experiencing shortages, too. Combine that with the fact that all these data centers and AI workflows need not just copious amounts of RAM, but also of fast, reliable storage, and you can see how buying an SSD is getting harder by the day.
RAM prices shot up as early as the summer of 2025 and have stayed consistently awful ever since. Storage prices followed a little later, but it’s now safe to say that they’re bad, too. Whoever wants to buy an SSD now missed the opportunity to do so on the cheap. I planned to add more storage to my PC, but I hesitated a little too long, and now, here we are.
Just a few weeks ago, I advised buying a 2TB SSD instead of a 1TB drive. The fact is that 1TB just doesn’t cut it for many users anymore, but beyond that, the pricing just made more sense, offering better value for the money.
Now, even 2TB SSDs no longer look like such a great deal, all thanks to market volatility.
Smaller capacities can’t keep up
Those prices are painful to see.
The prices are a bit all over the place, so what I’m about to cover now may no longer be valid by the time you read this article. That just serves to underline how tricky buying an SSD is right now.
Take Crucial’s P310 SSD, which is currently $107. It’s been bouncing between that and $138 for the last few weeks, but when you track the price history on Amazon, you’ll see that back in October, it was $69. This isn’t even one of the best SSDs you could buy right now; it’s a QLC drive, which are often best avoided. And yet, it still costs a pretty penny.
On the higher-end, things look even worse. Samsung’s 990 Pro 1TB SSD costs $200 right now, up from just above $90 back in October. This is one of the pricier 1TB drives out there, and you’ll find plenty of options in between the Crucial and the Samsung, such as this Silicon Power 1TB drive that costs $143 ($69 in October).
2TB drives, while pricier, still offer better value for the money … kind of. Looking through Amazon shows me the 2TB Silicon Power for $238, but also outliers like the WD Black SN7100 for $390. In general, you can expect to spend between $200 on a budget 2TB drive and $350 (and up) on a high-end alternative.
The value-for-the-money aspect is just hardly ever there anymore, and the needle has moved forward. There’s now a better value pick—but it’s not going to be cheap.
4TB SSDs are the new value pick
Whether we like it or not, that’s just how it is right now.
A few months ago, I would’ve said that 4TB SSDs are overkill for many people. But now? They just might be the way to go if you don’t mind spending more upfront.
Pricing-wise, there’s no contest: 4TB SSDs offer better cost per terabyte than their smaller counterparts. The Silicon Power 4TB UD90 costs $360, while the 1TB version costs $145. A faster option, the Silicon Power US75, costs $385.
Even the high-end picks are much better value if you buy 4TB. Samsung’s excellent 9100 Pro with a built-in heatsink costs $230 for 1TB, $600 for 4TB, and $1,070 for 8TB. Incredibly expensive, but if you have any use for one of the fastest consumer SSDs (most people don’t), it is a better deal. Crucial’s T710 offers similar speeds and costs $470 for 4TB ($198 for 1TB).
Another good deal I spotted is the Verbatim 4TB Vi7000, a TLC drive with speeds of up to 7,000MB/s, sold for $348.
Beyond the prices, larger drives have other benefits. You’re unlikely to ever fill your SSD all the way up, which will preserve its performance. Bigger SSDs also have higher endurance ratings (TBW), which is an added bonus.
Deciding between value and what you actually need
You may have no use for that much storage.
There’s no doubt that 4TB is the way to go if you want to get plenty of storage without paying even more of a premium. You’ll spend more upfront, but a 4TB SSD will last most people for a long time. You’ll get future-proofing in every way possible, with plenty of space for games, work-related files, heavy apps, and, of course, the operating system.
If you buy a slower 4TB drive, it’ll make for excellent storage, while a smaller, faster SSD can be used to run your most important apps and the OS. However, there’s nothing stopping you from just throwing it all onto that one 4TB drive—you’ll certainly have the space.
But, it’s important to note that just because 4TB SSDs are a much better value, it doesn’t mean that they’re worth it for you. They can be used to avoid repeat purchases, as you’re unlikely to need upgrades for a long time, and they’re excellent if you have an all-SSD NAS (although you might want to go for 8TB drives in that case).
It does seem ridiculous to think that you’ll be saving money by spending $350-$600 instead of $107-$300, but it’s true. That’s the current state of the market. Now, you just have to decide whether it’s actually worth it for you or not.
