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Hard drives on backorder for two years as AI data centers trigger HDD shortage

(www.tomshardware.com)
138 points pabs3 | 4 comments | 12 Nov 25 05:36 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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mock-possum ◴[12 Nov 25 06:28 UTC] No.45896964[source]▶
> delivery times for enterprise-grade HDDs delayed by two years.

I sleep

> so hyperscalers are now switching to QLC NAND-based SSDs to avoid these backorders … This could lead to SSD prices rising worldwide

Real shit

replies(1): >>45897033 #
BoredPositron ◴[12 Nov 25 06:41 UTC] No.45897033[source]▶
The funniest thing about this is that, with high GPU prices, rising RAM costs, and now increasing SSD prices, Apple will end up producing the most affordable PCs.
replies(3): >>45897044 #>>45897138 #>>45897283 #
ipsum2 ◴[12 Nov 25 06:42 UTC] No.45897044[source]▶
Apple uses the same RAM, SSD, etc as everyone else does. They don't have a magic supply chain that is unaffected by the broader world.
replies(2): >>45897061 #>>45897097 #
BoredPositron ◴[12 Nov 25 06:45 UTC] No.45897061[source]▶
They don't use the same SSDs? They don't use the same RAM? They have their own supply chain in place? Whatcha talking about bud?
replies(1): >>45897080 #
Incipient ◴[12 Nov 25 06:48 UTC] No.45897080[source]▶
They use the same suppliers. The problem is the base chip, and also the wafer itself, all of which will impact apple.

(apple doesn't use hdds so not talking about that here).

replies(2): >>45897109 #>>45899018 #
BoredPositron ◴[12 Nov 25 06:55 UTC] No.45897109[source]▶
The problem is not chip supply it's manufacturing. Apple has their own manufacturing suppply. This is not the chip crisis of the last years. Hyper scalers are switching to consumer hardware because there is nothing in storage for Prosumer anymore and the manufacturing pipelines for these are smaller and harder to scale than consumer ones.
replies(2): >>45897817 #>>45898171 #
1. jeroenhd ◴[12 Nov 25 09:35 UTC] No.45898171[source]▶
The NAND itself seems to come from companies like SK Hynix, which are currently struggling to meet demand.

Apple doesn't make their own NAND, just like they don't make their own screens. They did write their own NAND controller and stuck it into their CPUs, but the flash memory that actually stores data doesn't come directly from their factories.

replies(1): >>45898780 #
2. BoredPositron ◴[12 Nov 25 11:16 UTC] No.45898780[source]▶
It's not a fucking nand problem. The producers reduced capacity because of the slow consumer PC market in 2024. With hyperscalers shifting to consumer products the market is strained but everyone is scaling up their production now. This is not the same as the chip shortage we had in the last few years. The production capabilities are there they are just adjusting to new market realities. We will see a whiplash for a few months but we can and will produce enough chips for everyone which we were not able to do in the 20-22 crisis. Stop getting your "insights" from influencers and stop parroting them.
replies(1): >>45901210 #
3. Incipient ◴[12 Nov 25 15:13 UTC] No.45901210[source]▶
It's ABSOLUTELY a chip shortage. TSMC is booked out years in advance and jacking prices because they can.

On the dram side, because that's what I saw recently, sk hynix is down to TWO WEEKS of inventory: https://wccftech.com/sk-hynix-ddr5-inventory-down-to-just-2-...

I'd be curious what evidence there is to support its purely an end-product manufacturing shortage?

replies(1): >>45901683 #
4. BoredPositron ◴[12 Nov 25 15:54 UTC] No.45901683{3}[source]▶
I don't see any evidence of a general chip shortage in your link either. That they are down in stock because of unprecedented demand after a downturn in the last 3 years in consumer demands of consumer products is something completely different than being down because of production capacity. They reduced production in 2023 and 2024. It's exactly what I wrote in my previous comment.