Cheaper SSDs to come

[MaXtez]

 

SSD (solid-state drive) prices in the China market have drastically fallen, with prices for a 128GB model dropping to US$50-55 and those for a 256GB model to below US$100, according to Taiwan-based memory module makers.

The prices declined following a price war started by China-based SSD vendors TIGO Technology and Galaxy Microsystems, the sources said. TIGO's SSD solutions are provided by Taiwan-based Phison Electronics and Galaxy's NAND flash controller ICs are supplied by Taiwan-based JMicron Technology, the sources noted.

The price war has brought pressure on Samsung Electronics and Kingston Technology, the two largest SSD vendors in the China market, the sources indicated.

Phison chairman Pua Khein-seng has remarked that SSD vendors in China will have to bow out if they cannot secure a meaningful place in the market by 2015. To enhance competitiveness, NAND flash controller IC designers have to cooperate with upstream NAND flash chip makers, Pua said, adding Phison has worked with Kingston and Toshiba in attempts to land NAND flash controller IC orders from SSD vendors, Pua noted.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is expected to benefit from the pricing trend in the China market, as Marvell (currently the world's biggest supplier of SSD-use NAND flash controller ICs), JMicron and Taiwan-based design house Silicon Motion Technology are using TSMC foundry services to produce such ICs, the sources said.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20140925PD205.html

http://www.maximumpc.com/solid_state_drive_price_war_erupts_overseas_2014

Damn, 128 gig SSDs for $50 is an exceptionally low price. My only concern is the speed and reliability of these SSDs, but this is still exciting news.

[Imabigmac]

We aren't too far those prices as it is. 

[MaXtez]

We aren't too far those prices as it is.

There is a "price war" going on, so we might be expecting some even lower prices in the future...

[TheGosuStandard]

Sounds about right for prices to finally drop.

[dizmo]

There is a "price war" going on, so we might be expecting some even lower prices in the future...

Except it's in China, not North America.

I mean if you live in China, great. If not, you likely won't see price decreases.

They're very regional.

[Sauron]

Hopefully it's not too long until 512 gb ssds are under 100$

[Imabigmac]

There is a "price war" going on, so we might be expecting some even lower prices in the future...

There will always be a price war when NAND is a commodity and there are dozens of producers and third party ssd makers. Not to mention and this is what I believe is currently fuelling the low prices is that most manufactures have refreshed their lines and have warehouses full of "old" drives that have to sold - but if they sell the old ones to low the new ones won't sell at so the new ones price has to be lower. 

[MaXtez]

Except it's in China, not North America.

I mean if you live in China, great. If not, you likely won't see price decreases.

They're very regional.

 

SSD prices in China have "drastically fallen" to the point where you can pick up a 128GB for around $50 or a 256GB SSD for just $100. The sharp drops are a direct result of a price war started by China-based vendors TIGO Technology and Galaxy Microsystems.

You probably haven't heard of either company, but don't rule out price drops coming to the U.S. market as well. As TIGO Technology and Galaxy Microsystems duke it out, Samsung and Kingston Technology, the two largest SSD vendors in China, are feeling the pressure to lower prices as well. Both are also major players in the U.S., so it's possible that those price drops could land stateside.

 

[Tonylu1595]

Nice, can't wait until the ssd price beats the hard drives.

[Techhog]

Nice, can't wait until the ssd price beats the hard drives.

That won't happen until a few years after HDDs are phased out.

[snowComet]

Actually the price war of ssd starts back in April/May in China/Hong Kong. Galaxy released a 512GB ssd priced at HKD$1780, the cheapest 512GB ssd at that time, with Silicon Motion SM2246EN SSD Controller, and Samsung NAND Flash. And the performance is not bad for the price tag, tested 550MB/s and 450MB/s on CrystalMark. Then more cheap ssds come to the market, the MX100 from Cruical, or SSD370 from Transcend.

 

With this rate, I think maybe in 2015/2016, we will see 512GB ssd priced less than $200...

[Bloodyvalley]

Nice, can't wait until the ssd price beats the hard drives.

looks like you have some waiting to do then

 

[Misanthrope]

1 week after I purchased one...*flips table*

[TooManyErrors]

1 week after I purchased one...*flips table*

You're not alone with that.

[dizmo]

 

Except it's in China, not North America.

I mean if you live in China, great. If not, you likely won't see price decreases.

They're very regional.

 

SSD prices in China have "drastically fallen" to the point where you can pick up a 128GB for around $50 or a 256GB SSD for just $100. The sharp drops are a direct result of a price war started by China-based vendors TIGO Technology and Galaxy Microsystems.

You probably haven't heard of either company, but don't rule out price drops coming to the U.S. market as well. As TIGO Technology and Galaxy Microsystems duke it out, Samsung and Kingston Technology, the two largest SSD vendors in China, are feeling the pressure to lower prices as well. Both are also major players in the U.S., so it's possible that those price drops could land stateside.

 

 

Doesn't matter if they're both players in the US. The simple fact is that the companies that are causing them to lower prices, are not.

They're not going to lower their pricing with no one pressuring them to do so.

 

Actually the price war of ssd starts back in April/May in China/Hong Kong. Galaxy released a 512GB ssd priced at HKD$1780, the cheapest 512GB ssd at that time, with Silicon Motion SM2246EN SSD Controller, and Samsung NAND Flash. And the performance is not bad for the price tag, tested 550MB/s and 450MB/s on CrystalMark. Then more cheap ssds come to the market, the MX100 from Cruical, or SSD370 from Transcend.

 

With this rate, I think maybe in 2015/2016, we will see 512GB ssd priced less than $200...

We're already pretty much there with the MX100 drives. I think some PNY drives are also pretty low.

[zacRupnow]

We aren't too far those prices as it is. 

I still don't want to drop $400+ for  500Gb+

[Priller]

1-2TB SSDs on the cheap would be nice.

[bcredeur97]

yay SSD's getting cheaper. that is always good.

 

 

cant wait to start seeing decent sized (128GB) ssd's in like $300 laptops. that might make them worth something.

[Jammy Duel]

Well, obviously they will get cheaper, how much were HDDs and other magnetic sotarge solutions back eons ago?

Back when they were first developed their formatted capacity was 3.75MB, they were 68 cubic feet weighing about 2000lb with 600ms access times with 2000 bits per square inch costing $9200 per megabyte

Now they're 4TB+ (improvements in excess of 1,000,000:1), 2.1 cubic inches (57000:1), 2.2 ounces (15,000:1), access times a few ms (~200:1), 826 gigabits per square inch (>400,000,000:1) and <$0.05 per gigabyte (180,000,000:1)

 

Obviously we won't be seeing these sorts of improvements for SSDs, not the weight and size at least, but it's a pretty trivial statement that they are getting cheaper.

[Arkosh]

yes! i see bright future!

[Lord Baal]

1 week after I purchased one...*flips table*

Haha yeah I'm in the same position, I just picked up a 850 pro last Monday..

[c.bert]

if you get rid of VAT in the UK you are talking that price give or take 5 dollars for a crucial mx100 

[GlassBomb]

I recently helped out throwing away stuff.

 

I found a 120-something MegaByte big standard harddrive.

[PortentousLad]

 

loving the gif.

 

Also great news, let's go shopping.

[deviant88]

I bought my Kingston 128GB for 50euro.Also is that 50$ pricetag with vat or without vat.