SSD Prices Are Rising. Canadians Should Not Panic-Buy
Matthew Leo · Published July 28, 2026 · Last updated September 29, 2026 · Gadgets
SSD prices are rising fast enough to be annoying, but not fast enough to justify buying the wrong drive in a panic.
Market-research firm TrendForce expects NAND Flash contract prices to increase 10 to 15 per cent during the third quarter of 2026. It separately estimates that the NAND market will face a four to five per cent supply deficit this year.
NAND Flash is the memory used inside solid-state drives, phones and many other storage products. Contract-price increases do not appear at every Canadian retailer on the same day, but they eventually influence what manufacturers, distributors and shoppers pay.
The practical response is to buy based on need, compatibility and cost per terabyte—not a giant “SAVE” number calculated from a strangely ambitious regular price.
What current Canadian prices show
The following examples were checked on July 28, 2026. Prices can change quickly, so check the retailer's current listing before buying.
| Drive | Capacity | Price | Approx. price per TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 990 EVO Plus | 1TB | $394.99 | $394.99 |
| Samsung 990 EVO Plus | 2TB | $629.99 | $315.00 |
| Samsung 9100 Pro | 1TB | $399.99 | $399.99 |
| Samsung 9100 Pro | 2TB | $569.99 | $285.00 |
The Samsung prices above came from products sold directly by Best Buy Canada, not third-party marketplace listings.
The immediate lesson is not that everyone should buy the 9100 Pro. It is that capacity pricing can become irregular during a shortage. A supposedly higher-tier 2TB drive can temporarily cost less than a slower model because of promotions, inventory timing or channel pricing.
Calculate price per terabyte first
Divide the selling price by the advertised capacity in terabytes.
A $630 2TB drive costs about $315 per terabyte. A $400 1TB drive costs $400 per terabyte. The larger model costs more today but offers substantially better storage value.
Price per terabyte does not measure durability, speed or warranty quality. It simply prevents storage capacity from hiding behind a smaller monthly-payment-style number.
Most people do not need PCIe 5.0
PCI Express is the connection used by modern NVMe drives. Newer generations can support higher speeds, but the drive, computer and workload all need to benefit.
A premium PCIe 5.0 SSD can make sense for work involving large video files, professional media caches, heavy data processing or frequent transfers between equally fast devices.
It usually will not make ordinary web browsing, document editing or game loading feel proportionally faster than a good PCIe 4.0 drive.
Before paying for the newest standard, check:
- Whether the motherboard or laptop supports that PCIe generation.
- Whether the drive will run at a lower speed in the available slot.
- Whether a heatsink is required or physically fits.
- Whether the workload involves sustained large transfers.
A benchmark advantage is not automatically a useful advantage.
Gaming buyers should prioritize capacity
For most gaming computers, a solid 2TB PCIe 4.0 drive is more useful than a faster 1TB flagship drive at a similar price.
Modern game installations can consume well over 100GB. Extra capacity reduces the need to delete and redownload games, while the real-world loading difference between competent NVMe drives is often smaller than their sequential-speed numbers imply.
PlayStation 5 buyers must also confirm Sony’s dimensional, speed and heatsink requirements. A fast drive that does not fit properly is an expensive bookmark.
The same principle appears in our guide to choosing a gaming monitor without wasting money: buy for the system and use case you actually have.
Do not trust marketplace listings as market prices
Large Canadian retail sites may mix products sold by the retailer with inventory from third-party sellers.
A marketplace seller can attach an inflated price to old, scarce or poorly distributed inventory. That does not mean every retailer raised its price or that the product’s manufacturer recommended that amount.
When comparing SSD prices:
- Confirm who sells and ships the product.
- Compare the exact model number, not merely the brand and capacity.
- Check whether a heatsink is included.
- Look at the final delivered price and return policy.
- Save a copy of the warranty and receipt.
When you should buy now
Buy now if your existing drive is failing, you are assembling a computer within the next month, or current storage limits are disrupting work.
Waiting for a perfect sale while a drive reports health warnings is a poor savings strategy. Back up important data first and replace the device.
You can also buy when a suitable model reaches a price per terabyte you are comfortable paying. That threshold depends on performance and warranty, but writing it down makes marketing less persuasive.
When you should wait
Wait if the purchase is speculative, your current storage is adequate or you are considering an incompatible premium drive solely because shortages are in the news.
TrendForce expects supply pressure to continue through 2026, so the old bargain prices may not return immediately. That still does not mean every current listing is reasonable.
Storage is a tool, not canned food before a storm. Buy enough capacity, confirm compatibility, compare price per terabyte and ignore performance you cannot use.
Tags: SSD, NAND Flash, PC hardware, Canadian prices, buying guide