HDD storage costs could continue to plummet
A 1TB HDD may soon cost around $10, experts claim
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In a world where everything is getting more expensive, and many computing components have hit record highs, there may be some good news coming in the storage world.
Cloud storagespecialist Backblaze reckons that HDD prices are set to plummet even further, which could be good news for the casual user.
Renowned for being less responsive thanSSDs, HDDs are also larger and so aren’t as suitable for fitting into the small form factors that customers like. If having access to huge amounts of storage is of importance, though, the best is yet to come.
HDD vs SSD cost
Backblazereckons that, by 2025, HDD prices will reach a record low of $0.01 per GB, placing the price of a 1TB drive in the region of just $10, and it has plenty of data to back up its prediction.
With purchase records dating back to 2009 (when the company was paying around $0.11 per GB), it has purchased more than a quarter of a million hard drives measuring as high as 16TB, with plans to place orders for 18TB, 20TB, and even 22TB drives as pricing meets Backblaze’s expectations.
These are the best cloud backup services around>SSD could hasten demise of HDD as price parity looms in 2023>Looking for a boot drive? Here’s why you should go for an SSD, not an HDD
It’s also keen to stress that it uses PMR/CMR drives as opposed to SMR drives which can be even cheaper. The tradeoff for using an SMR drive is that it can be significantly slower.
Despite the effects of the pandemic, Backblaze’s figures show a 56% decrease in the cost per GB between 2017 and November 2022. A broader look at the trends show significant drops to prices in earlier years, and while the chart does seem to be levelling off as we head into the mid 2020s, there still appears to be room for further reductions in prices.
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While generally more expensive, Trendfocus analysts reckon that SSD prices could halve by mid-2023 (viaTom’s Hardware). Currently, buyers can expect to pay around $0.06-$0.08 per GB, making a 512GB hard drive to be about $30.72-$40.96.
With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
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