Key Points:
- PowerGPU announced that prices for SSDs and other parts will rise next week.
- The company says the current inventory is the last batch available at lower rates.
- AI data centers are consuming up to 70% of the global memory chip supply.
- Experts predict high prices will continue through the first half of 2026.
If you are planning to build a gaming PC, you might want to act fast. PowerGPU, a well-known builder of custom computers, dropped a serious warning on social media this week. The company stated on X that the cost of solid-state drives (SSDs) and other components has jumped again. As a result, they expect to raise their prices by early next week.
The company promised to stay transparent with its customers. They clarified that whatever stock they have right now is the last batch they can sell at the current price. Once that inventory is gone, the price tags are going up. This is a tough blow for gamers who have already dealt with expensive parts since late last year.
The main culprit behind these rising costs is the boom in artificial intelligence. AI data centers require massive amounts of storage and memory to run. Reports suggest these centers could gobble up to 70% of the world’s memory chip supply this year. While there was a small glimmer of hope in late January when prices seemed to level off, that relief appears to be over.
PowerGPU notes that SSDs are leading the charge in this new wave of hikes, but other parts will likely follow. This mirrors the shortages we saw previously with RAM and graphics cards.
Industry experts don’t see an end to this trend anytime soon. Analysts believe storage prices will keep climbing through the first half of 2026 and could stay high well into 2027. A representative from Kingston, a major memory manufacturer, offered blunt advice: do not wait for lower prices. If you need an upgrade, buy it now.
Meanwhile, staff at Sapphire suggested that prices might not stabilize until June or August. For now, the era of cheap storage seems to be on pause.
