Overview
- Silicon Motion told reporters at Computex that the retail SSD market has “almost disappeared” as consumer channels face steep shortages of NAND flash.
- Major NAND vendors have redirected wafer allocations toward data-center and AI workloads, which has cut the supply available for client PC drives.
- PC OEMs that cannot secure direct NAND or bulk components are increasingly buying finished SSDs from module makers rather than building drives in-house.
- Independent controller developers and module suppliers are seeing stronger demand for server-grade and OEM drives while the aftermarket retail channel weakens.
- The shift has driven up consumer SSD prices and made retail inventory scarce, and it signals a structural realignment in how SSDs are produced and distributed.