⬤ Enterprise storage costs are splitting dramatically as AI infrastructure needs reshape the market. Solid-state drives now cost up to 16 times more than traditional hard disk drives in comparable enterprise setups. The massive price difference shows how AI's appetite for fast storage is throwing supply chains out of balance.
⬤ Enterprise 30TB TLC SSDs jumped 257% in price over the past year, while HDDs climbed only 35%. The reason? AI workloads need the speed and performance that only SSDs can deliver, pushing demand through the roof while manufacturers struggle to keep up. Meanwhile, HDDs benefit from mature supply chains and steadier demand.
⬤ All-flash data centers—once seen as the future of enterprise storage—are now significantly more expensive to build. The cost gap between flash and disk storage keeps widening instead of closing. For companies scaling AI operations, storage is quickly becoming as big a budget concern as processors and GPUs. The supply crunch shows no signs of easing as global data center investment continues accelerating.
Usman Salis
Usman Salis