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Yes. SSD prices fell sharply in 2019, though not every drive or store price moved at the same rate. TrendForce reported that NAND contract prices dropped about 20% in the first quarter, followed by further declines in client SSD contracts during the second quarter. Selected 1TB consumer drives reached roughly $100 or less.
What the 2019 forecast predicted
In December 2018, TrendForce forecast that NAND contract prices would keep falling through the first half of 2019, including a 10% quarter-on-quarter decline in the first quarter. It pointed to seasonal weakness and high inventories as factors intensifying oversupply concerns. TrendForce’s December 2018 outlook
That prediction followed a broader set of supply and demand pressures. TrendForce’s July 2018 analysis tied falling NAND prices to oversupply and weak seasonal demand, and said cheaper SSDs could help notebook SSD adoption exceed 50% before the end of that year. Its October outlook cited the gap between supply and demand and sluggish consumer-electronics demand, while describing enterprise SSD demand as comparatively stable. July 2018 analysis · October 2018 outlook
Manufacturing capacity was another factor. Tom’s Hardware summarized a separate forecast that SSD prices could reach $0.08 per gigabyte in 2019, citing expanded production capacity and 96-layer 3D NAND. That was a forecast, not a guaranteed shelf price for every drive. Tom’s Hardware’s 2018 report
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What actually happened to prices
NAND and client-drive contracts
The first-quarter decline was steeper than the December forecast: TrendForce reported that NAND contract prices fell about 20% in 1Q19, the sharpest drop since supply exceeded demand in early 2018. It cited weak server demand, a longer smartphone replacement cycle, and disappointing sales of new phones. TrendForce’s 1Q19 report
TrendForce’s May 2019 update said PC-client OEM SSD contract prices had declined for six consecutive quarters. For 2Q19, it reported different ranges by interface:
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| PC-client SSD category | Reported 2Q19 contract-price change |
|---|---|
| SATA | Down 15–26% quarter on quarter |
| PCIe | Down 16–37% quarter on quarter |
These are reported OEM contract-price ranges, not guaranteed discounts on any particular retail model. The report describes PCIe SSDs; it does not establish one uniform price change for every product sold as NVMe. TrendForce’s May 2019 update
Prices shoppers could find
Retail examples showed the decline reaching consumers. Tom’s Hardware reported that selected 1TB gaming SSDs had fallen from about $324 to roughly $97 and cited a forecast of another 15% decline in 1Q19. Separately, PCWorld reported on June 24, 2019, that Samsung’s 1TB QVO was available for under $100. These are examples of specific products and reported prices, not a universal price for all 1TB SSDs. Tom’s Hardware’s report · PCWorld’s June 2019 report
Why a NAND price drop did not set every SSD’s retail price
NAND is a major component in an SSD, but a change in NAND contract prices does not automatically translate into the same percentage cut at retail. Contract data describes negotiated market prices, while shoppers see prices for specific capacities, product designs, retailers, and promotions. The reported figures also covered different segments: NAND contracts, PC-client OEM drives, selected gaming SSDs, and a specific consumer QVO model.
Capacity and interface matter when comparing options. A 1TB drive’s total price can be converted to a simple per-gigabyte figure by dividing its price by 1,000; for example, a $100 1TB drive works out to about $0.10 per GB using that decimal convention. That calculation helps compare capacity value, but it does not make unlike drives equivalent: SATA and PCIe products are separate interface categories, and the 2Q19 contract declines differed between them.
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Client and enterprise drives should not be treated as one market either. TrendForce described enterprise SSD demand as comparatively stable in its October 2018 outlook, while the sharpest later contract movements cited here were NAND and PC-client SSD figures. The evidence does not establish that enterprise retail prices fell at the same pace as consumer drives.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you have waited to buy a 1TB SSD?
For a buyer considering a 1TB consumer drive during 2019, waiting did coincide with lower prices in the examples reported: a selected Samsung 1TB QVO was under $100 by June, and a selected 1TB gaming SSD was reported around $97. But those observations cannot prove that waiting was best for every buyer, because model, interface, retailer, stock, and purchase date affect the price available to an individual shopper.
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The practical lesson is to compare the exact drive and capacity you need rather than assume the entire SSD market will fall together. Price per GB is useful for capacity comparisons; SATA versus PCIe/NVMe and consumer versus enterprise use cases are separate distinctions, not interchangeable labels for a better deal.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
