Micro Center lists 8TB WD_Black SSD at $2,419 MSRP, real price tag up 50% since October — pricing surges on high-capacity SSDs in response to AI demand
A mismarked 8TB SSD at Micro Center is sounding the alarm on surging SSD prices in response to demand from AI data centers.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
RAM prices have been surging for the past two months, but behind the scenes, prices on SSDs have silently crept up, as well. There's no better evidence of that than two 8TB drives on display at Micro Center. The 8TB WD_Black SN850X is listed at a suggested retail price of $2,418.99, while the PlayStation-branded SN850P is listed at $2,757.99.
The outrageous price tags were shared by @MMatt14 on X. Although we can't verify that Micro Center actually listed these prices, they line up with the suggested retail pricing on Micro Center's website. The good news is that Micro Center isn't actually selling these drives for above $2,000. The SN850X is available for $900 at 8TB, while the SN850P is available for $1,100, assuming you have a Micro Center close enough to pick up your SSD in person. This is likely an error in labeling from inside a Micro Center store.
8TB SSD cards are now over $2000 thank you Sam Altman pic.twitter.com/j78hdD6cZhDecember 27, 2025
Prices on lower capacity drives have gone up, as well. The 2TB SN850X has gone from around $150 in October to $270 today. The value-packed Crucial P3 Plus (rest in peace, Crucial) launched at just $62 for the 1TB version, and you could find it for that price two months ago. Now, it's listed for $220.
We've seen the brunt of AI demand with DRAM prices over the past couple months, causing a pricing surge that could last for years. NAND flash has also seen a significant increase in demand despite getting far less limelight. Last month, TrendForce suggested NAND prices would increase by double digits in the first quarter of 2026. NAND has seen a sharp increase in demand, similar to DRAM, and and allocated limited inventory for 2025 and 2026 already.
