'The retail SSD market has almost disappeared,' says Silicon Motion exec — PC OEMs are buying third-party drives as direct NAND supply dries up
Vice president of client storage solutions at Silicon Motion warns that the retail SSD market has almost disappeared as NAND makers prioritize shipments of memory to AI data centers.
The rapid and increasing demand for memory in AI data centers is directly impacting traditional supply chains for components like SSDs.
This indicates a significant reprioritization of vital components towards AI infrastructure, potentially altering consumer markets and further solidifying AI's resource pull.
The availability and pricing of consumer SSDs are changing due to NAND manufacturers funneling their output to AI data centers, shifting market dynamics.
- · AI data centers
- · NAND manufacturers
- · PC OEMs leveraging scale
- · Retail SSD market
- · Small PC component resellers
- · Consumers seeking cheap storage
PC manufacturers increasingly source third-party SSDs or face supply shortages for their traditional suppliers.
This pressure on retail availability could drive up prices for consumer storage, making entry-level PCs more expensive or less performant.
The sustained demand from AI could lead to re-shoring or increased investment in NAND production facilities outside of traditional territories to meet the dual demand streams.
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