Memory and storage chip prices have been steadily increasing worldwide due to the AI-driven shortage. Still, Japanese consumers are being hit the hardest, with crazy prices appearing in multiple shops across Tokyo. According to Akiba PC Hotline! [machine translated], Samsung SSDs have increased by up to 300% in various computer retailers, with the top-of-the-line 8TB Samsung 9100 Pro going up as high as $3,470.97 USD (547,980 JPY) at the current exchange rate. By comparison, you can get the same drive on Amazon for just $1,960.69 — around 43% cheaper than what is offered among Japanese retailers.
The egregious pricing isn’t limited to large-capacity PCIe 5.0 drives either. The 4TB 9100 Pro with heat sink is priced at $1,773 USD (279,980 JPY), which is a 31.5% increase from its previous price, while the 2TB version is now at $893 (140,980 JPY). These examples are around double the prices of the same models here in the U.S., as you can see on our SSD price tracker. More “affordable” Samsung models like the 990 Pro, 990 Evo Plus, and even the 870 Evo didn’t escape the pricing hikes, either. When compared to their prices from January of this year, those drives have jumped in price by as much as 384.7%.
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