If you were hoping to build a custom gaming PC from scratch, or had been looking to upgrade your storage, 2026 hasn’t exactly been kind to that wish. Thanks to the obsession Big Tech has had with AI, prices for SSDs have hiked up to scary heights. Luckily, this particular model from Samsung seems to be trending back down, for now.
The Samsung 990 PRO SSD is available in sizes of 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. Now, these spent much of last year at the following prices on Amazon: the 1TB SSD had been selling for around $100, the 2TB SSD for around $170, and the 4TB SSD for around $300. Since January, they have now hit highs of $320 for the 1TB, $640 for the 2TB, and a staggering $1,100 for the 4TB.
As of June, these prices have come back down, if only slightly. Right now, you can find the Samsung 990 PRO SSD going for $250 for the 1TB, $390 for the 2TB, and $949 for the 4TB. this could either be a good sign that things beginning to head back in the right direction, or a case of a manufacturer artificially jacking up the price, then marking it down so they can slap a big 40% off label on the item page. In either case, these SSDs are now much cheaper than they were in April and May.
High End Computing
The Samsung 990 PRO SSD is an excellent option for anyone who with high demands for what they do in front of the computer. This includes analysis of large datasets, video editing, 3D modeling, and—of course—PC gaming.
The SSD from Samsung are exceptionally fast. You’re looking at read speeds of up to 7,450MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,900MB/s. Your games will load up quickly and large video files can render with haste.
PlayStation 5 players can even enjoy more games by installing a Samsung 990 PRO SSD into their console. This will require a heatsink. Samsung sells versions of this SSD that come with the heatsink included. However, with all the weird price hikes, those versions are going for $50 to $100 more then their non-heatsink counterparts. You can find your own compatible heatsink for around $10 to $15 so you’re better off purchasing that separately.
In the back half of 2026, we’re seeing new releases like the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI as well as—for the first time ever—Halo on a Sony console with Halo: Campaign Evolved. With huge games coming to PS5 later this year, make sure you have all the space you need to download and play all the ones that have you hyped.
