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High-Capacity Hard Drives Vanish: Demand Skyrockets!
18 Jun
Summary
- Large-capacity hard drives are unavailable from major retailers.
- Hyperscalers and AI ventures are driving unprecedented demand.
- Prices for high-capacity drives have quadrupled in one year.
High-capacity desktop hard drives are becoming exceptionally scarce, with major retailers listing popular models as sold out. Seagate's 28TB Expansion drive, for example, is currently unavailable, and scalpers are asking premium prices. This shortage is largely driven by the immense demand from hyperscale data centers and burgeoning AI ventures, which are prioritizing these components.
Manufacturers are diverting production to these lucrative enterprise markets. Western Digital, while appearing to have more stock of its 26TB WD Elements drive, lists it at a significantly inflated price of $1,390. The company has also reportedly sold out its HDD capacity for 2026 and secured long-term agreements through 2028.
This situation has led to a dramatic increase in prices across all storage capacities, mirroring trends seen with GPUs and memory. Seagate's share price has seen a 600% increase since June 2025, while Western Digital's has risen nearly tenfold, underscoring the market shift towards enterprise and AI-driven demand.
