I have seen memes about gaming hardware getting more expensive but I ignore them because that kind of thing has always been beyond my reach. The difference between a $2k PC and a $3k PC is moot because I would never have either.

But recently I wanted to upgrade my storage from 500gb to 1 tb. The prices are insane!! In 2024 when I bought 500gb nvme it was CAD$50. A comparable SATA was close to the same price. Now the exact same item is $130.

1tb is now $200-600 on amazon. Am I searching wrong?!

5 years ago I bought a 8tb external HDD for $170 and now the same one is almost $700. It looks like you can get 8tb as “cheap” as $400 but I’m not sure if they are the same quality.

Is this because of donald trump and/or AI?

Is it going to get better at some point?

How can the world function like this? We are so reliant on storage for everything. Is this price increase reflected in bulk sales to industry?