Stores have plenty of SSDs and DDR5 RAM in stock. You just can’t afford any of it.
A Reddit user named u/Hell-Diver7 posted photos from a local Micro Center this week showing cabinets packed with high-end storage and memory. The shelves aren’t bare. The problem is what’s on the price tags: increases of up to 200% compared to where these products sat not long ago.
The Samsung 9100 Pro SSD starts at $679 for the 2TB model. The 8TB version? That’ll run you $2,719. A WD_Black SN8100 in 2TB costs $699, and stepping up to the 4TB edition pushes the total to $1,272.
RAM is even harder to stomach
The memory aisle tells a similar story. A 32GB DDR5 kit from G.Skill Ripjaws sits at $699. Want 64GB? That’s $859.
And then there’s the number that stopped people mid-scroll: a Corsair Vengeance RGB 128GB DDR5-6400 kit listed at $4,199. That’s not a typo.
Stock isn’t the issue
What makes these photos so striking is the contrast. There’s no shortage of product on Micro Center’s shelves. The drives and kits are right there, row after row. But at these prices, they might as well be behind glass.
The ongoing global shortage in NAND and DRAM has hit both the U.S. and European markets. Consumers who do manage to find the product they’re looking for are paying far more than the original retail price. Analysts say hardware prices are expected to remain at these levels through 2026.
Europe isn’t faring much better. Prices for SSDs and RAM have followed a similar upward trajectory.
If you were planning a new PC build or a storage upgrade this spring, you might want to check your budget twice. The parts are available. The prices are the barrier.
