Solid state drive pricing dropped 38% in 2012

[Shawn Knight]

Solid state drives had a big year in 2012; not because of any controller breakthrough or performance barriers tackled but rather the fact that pricing dropped significantly over the past 12 months. Per gigabyte pricing for flash-based storage is still a great deal higher compared to spinning media but on average, you can expect to pay about a third less for an SSD now than you would a year ago.

The median price for a consumer-grade SSD last January was $1.64. By December 31, however, that figure had dropped to just $1.02 per gigabyte. Drives in the 240-256GB range saw the biggest price cuts, dropping a full 44 percent to only $0.83 per gigabyte as we waved goodbye to 2012.

Midrange drives in the 120-128GB category nearly broke the sub-$1 per gigabyte mark as they fell 34 percent over the last 12 months. Surprisingly enough, drives with capacities of 40-64GB had the poorest showing of all. Said SSDs finished at $1.29 per gig, good for a 28 percent drop since the beginning of last year.

As the Tech Report points out, pricing on solid state drives fell for the first three consecutive quarters of 2012. Drive pricing leveled out and even rebounded in the fourth quarter. According to data from Camelegg, some drives saw a significant price increase during Q4. For example, OCZ’s Vertex 3 120GB drive shot up 53 percent, the Vertex 4 64GB drive increased 31 percent and the Vertex 3 240GB drive went up 28 percent.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/51346-solid-state-drive-pricing-dropped-38-in-2012.html

 

[TS-56336]

That's good news. Planning to upgrade this year.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Let's hope prices fall even faster this year.

 

[captainawesome]

Once you go SSD, you never go back. (But when you do you cry every second of the 5minute bootup times :-D )

 

[Guest]

^^ ..what captain said

 

[Per Hansson]

"Surprisingly enough, drives with capacities of 40-64GB had the poorest showing of all."
-Not surprising in the least, there are many components in an SSD that do not get cheaper; mainly the SSD controller & all PCB components.
It is just the flash that goes down in price due to increased production and smaller transistors being developed.
So naturally the larger the SSD is the bigger it's price reduction will be percentage wise...

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Right it should be a given that low capacity harddrives carry a premium price/GB at least until the capacity gets so big that you need to start using a scaled up architecture like multiple controllers.
It's generally always been this case.

 

[Blue Falcon]

Picked up the Vertex 3 120GB for $60 early summer 2012. Should tie me over until 500GB SSDs are $100.

 

[captaincranky]

Once you go SSD, you never go back. (But when you do you cry every second of the 5minute bootup times :-D )

I haven't seen 5 minute boot times since DDR and Norton 2005 were all the rage. Methinks maybe you should check the startup programs on, and also disinfect whichever turd takes that long to rev up. Either that, or simply retire it.

As far as this "clever" paraphrase,

Once you go SSD, you never go back

with either the original wording, or the rework, I'm pretty sure if you don't start with something, you'll never miss it....

 

[avoidz]

Once you go SSD, you never go back. (But when you do you cry every second of the 5minute bootup times :-D )

My regular laptop HDD boots up Windows 7 in about 45-50 seconds. What's the big deal?

 

[havok585]

Once you go SSD, you never go back. (But when you do you cry every second of the 5minute bootup times :-D )

o'really? say that to time VR 10k rpm 3 seconds boot time >

 

[captaincranky]

My regular laptop HDD boots up Windows 7 in about 45-50 seconds. What's the big deal?

That's because there actually isn't any...!

This comes under the heading of reaching adulthood, without outgrowing the need for, "immediate infantile gratification"!

Even if you're, "suffering horribly" with long boot times, that's why God invented coffee pots, and the second PCs that are already running....

Besides, it should be illegal to brag about the fact you never have to shut your PC down with the newer versions of Windows, and then turn around and duplicitously start running on about how fast the self same PC will boot up.

In other professions such as sales, they apply the euphemism, "talking points", regarding such behaviour. In PC jargon, it is known outright as, "shameless, boorish, bragging"...

Some of this reminds me of the clamor to get rid of PS-2 keyboard & mouse ports in favor of USB. Sure, USB devices are faster, but the same fools are typing the same 20 WPM with them. (Personally I'm not sure if I make 20 WPM, so please leave my PS-2 ports alone, thank you very much).

My regular laptop HDD boots up Windows 7 in about 45-50 seconds. What's the big deal?

OTOH, you could use the 30 seconds you save in boot times, to watch 30 seconds of too loud commercials on network TV. Ah, but then, you''d lose way more than 30 seconds trying to call the FCC and complain about them). https://www.techspot.com/community/...vels-now-in-effect.188117/page-2#post-1262122

Still in all, it can be emasculating if your, "old lady's" Kindle boots up faster that your big, powerful, gaming PC. Then she's off reading "50 shades of Gray", and you're stuck fetching your own beer, while the aforementioned PC is still trying to get its act together....

OK, if all this is making anyone feel "slightly less than manly", this is what's on the horizon: https://www.techspot.com/community/...to-the-motherboard.188859/page-2#post-1268962

I tell you, if that isn't enough to want to make you run around your office in a garter belt shouting, "I'm the Queen of England", nothing is!

 

[captainawesome]

Well actually the problem comes in... aaah to hell with it... I'm way too tired for CaptainCranky's adventures into crankiness today.
As you were.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

That's because there actually isn't any...!

This comes under the heading of reaching adulthood, without outgrowing the need for, "immediate infantile gratification"!

Even if you're, "suffering horribly" with long boot times, that's why God invented coffee pots, and the second PCs that are already running....

Besides, it should be illegal to brag about the fact you never have to shut your PC down with the newer versions of Windows, and then turn around and duplicitously start running on about how fast the self same PC will boot up.

In other professions such as sales, they apply the euphemism, "talking points", regarding such behaviour. In PC jargon, it is known outright as, "shameless, boorish, bragging"...

Some of this reminds me of the clamor to get rid of PS-2 keyboard & mouse ports in favor of USB. Sure, USB devices are faster, but the same fools are typing the same 20 WPM with them. (Personally I'm not sure if I make 20 WPM, so please leave my PS-2 ports alone, thank you very much).

OTOH, you could use the 30 seconds you save in boot times, to watch 30 seconds of too loud commercials on network TV. Ah, but then, you''d lose way more than 30 seconds trying to call the FCC and complain about them). https://www.techspot.com/community/...vels-now-in-effect.188117/page-2#post-1262122

Still in all, it can be emasculating if your, "old lady's" Kindle boots up faster that your big, powerful, gaming PC. Then she's off reading "50 shades of Gray", and you're stuck fetching your own beer, while the aforementioned PC is still trying to get its act together....

OK, if all this is making anyone feel "slightly less than manly", this is what's on the horizon: https://www.techspot.com/community/...to-the-motherboard.188859/page-2#post-1268962

I tell you, if that isn't enough to want to make you run around your office in a garter belt shouting, "I'm the Queen of England", nothing is!

(y)
But I do like SSDs.