- External 4TB SSDs are now cheaper than slower internal SATA storage.
- Changes in memory manufacturing are changing pricing trends for NAND displays and storage.
- With the convergence of NVMe and external storage, SATA SSDs are becoming less important.
Due to constant changes in NAND flash manufacturing and pricing, high capacity external SSDs are currently selling for less than 4TB internal SATA drives.
While demand for higher capacity storage continues to grow, the gap is closing, making it difficult to justify the slower speeds of internal SATA SSDs.
Current supply pressure has led memory manufacturers like Micron and Samsung to favor DRAM over NAND. These distribution changes have reduced pricing pressure on NAND and reduced the incentive to continue producing slower, lower-margin, higher capacity SATA SSDs.
SATA SSDs are on the verge of extinction.
This is especially noticeable in the 4TB tier, which currently costs $279.58. It connects via USB 3.2 and offers read and write speeds of up to 1050MB/s and is designed for creative people who need fast, portable storage for multiple devices.
In comparison, the a is priced at $299.99. Despite using the standard 2.5-inch form factor and SATA III interface, their performance is significantly lower than modern external SSDs, although at a higher cost.
This situation is even more pronounced when compared to PCIe storage. The PCIe Gen4 based product currently sells for around $341. So, while internal high-speed NVMe is slightly more expensive than external SSDs, SATA still falls somewhere in the middle.
from price tracking data pcpartpicker Over the past 18 months, 4TB SATA SSDs have not benefited from significant price drops in NVMe and external SSDs.
With memory shortages and prices increasing (often dramatically), the price of SATA drives increases along with faster storage without creating a meaningful cost benefit.
This presents a unique situation for system builders and developers. External SSDs are no longer a convenient option. This is a cost-effective way to quickly add a large amount of storage space without opening up the system or using an outdated interface.
Meanwhile, motherboard support for SATA continues to decline, especially in smaller form factor systems and newer platforms. This makes investing in higher capacity SATA drives less attractive in the long term.
Price, performance, and platform trends indicate that 4TB SATA SSDs are approaching their practical limits.
NVMe SSDs and external drives increasingly offer better value for money with fewer compromises.
