Hard drives on backorder for two years as AI data centers trigger HDD shortage (www.tomshardware.com)

AI-driven data-center builds have created a new storage crunch: enterprise-grade hard drives (the nearline HDDs cloud providers use for massive cold storage) are reportedly on two-year backorder, prompting hyperscalers to pivot to QLC NAND SSDs to keep capacity flowing. The switch is driven by cost—QLC is cheaper than TLC—and sufficient endurance for cold/nearline workloads. But that shift is starving the NAND market: DigiTimes says QLC production is booked through 2026, Sandisk has raised NAND prices (reportedly up to +50%), and memory shortages (including DRAM kits doubling in price recently) mean manufacturers are allocating capacity to the highest bidders — mainly AI customers — leaving only weeks of buffer inventory. Why it matters: this is reshaping enterprise storage economics and hardware choices. Expect QLC to overtake TLC in popularity for cost-sensitive cloud storage by early 2027, potential global SSD price inflation as consumer QLC-based drives face tighter supply, and longer lead times for traditional HDD replenishment. Technically, the tradeoff is clear: faster procurement and lower capex with QLC at the cost of lower endurance compared with TLC/HDDs, which will push architects to re-evaluate tiering, redundancy and lifecycle plans. The shortage also highlights broader supply-chain fragility as AI demand concentrates buying power and squeezes consumer and SMB availability.