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how to know if my ssd slc vs tlc vs mlc vs qlc？
Is QLC Really Unreliable? A Comprehensive Analysis of Solid-State Disk Particles
Refer to the quality of solid-state disk particles, the market believes it is getting worse and worse. Is that true?
Introduction SLC vs MLC vs TLC vs QLC Storage Technologies
The concept of QLC may be unfamiliar to most consumers. Let’s make a brief introduction here. The life cycle of a solid-state disk is related to the storage unit, and the memory cells that have emerged now are SLC vs MLC vs TLC vs QLC. From the listed position, it is not difficult to see that QLC is the last and the latest technology. So why is the market not positive with QLC?
| Storage Cell Type | Description | Capacity | Speed | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC | The best, longest life cycle, and fastest speed | Small (e.g., 128MB) | Fast | Long |
| MLC | Double cells of SLC, capacity doubled | Medium (e.g., 256GB) | Slower than SLC | Shorter than SLC |
| TLC | Capacity increased again, up to 2TB mass production | Large (e.g., 2TB) | Slower and shorter lifespan than MLC | Shorter than MLC |
| QLC | Extends higher capacity, equivalent to four times of SLC | TB level and above | Slower and shorter lifespan than TLC | Concerned but proven to be reliable |
SLC is the best in terms of life cycle and speed, but its high price and small capacity have led it to basically withdraw from the consumer market. MLC, on the other hand, offers double the capacity of SLC at a more affordable price, but its speed and lifespan are slightly inferior. TLC emerged to meet the demand for larger capacities, but its speed and lifespan are further reduced. QLC, while extending the capacity even further, has raised concerns about its speed and lifespan.
Is QLC Really Unreliable?
While some nostalgic buyers are still missing MLC, QLC is already launching in the market. So, is it worthy of buying?
- The price of one solid-state disk can be fixed at $0.15 per 1GB, but for users who need large capacity storage, the price of choosing a TLC solid-state disk as external storage is still not low.
- The largest capacity for TLC solution is just 2TB, so the emergence of QLC can also be said to follow the trend.
- Several major brands in the SSD industry have said that the erasable life of their 3D QLC flash memory has reached 1000 PE, which is no different from that of the SSD of TLC particles.
- According to the theoretical formula for the life of SSD, even with heavy usage, the lifespan of QLC particles is almost no different from that of TLC particles under normal conditions.
- Samsung has provided a three-year warranty or 1440TBW total writing for their QLC SSD, fully guaranteeing the using demands of consumers.
QLC SSD Speed and Performance
The speed of QLC particles is also widely despised. However, taking the Samsung 860 QVO as an example, the reading speed reaches 560MB/s and the writing speed hits 527MB/s, which is quite good even comparing with TLC particles. Our actual test with large files of 50GB also showed that the speed of Samsung 860 QVO was about 400Mb/s, which was not much different from that of TLC.
About QLC SSD and New Technology
Mechanical hard drives and TLC solid-state drives can indeed satisfy many people, but the price, capacity, and speed are difficult to balance. As the demands of storage continue to increase, the emergence of QLC has broken this situation. Regarding all kinds of concerns about it, we would like to say that it could be judged by the price when the QLC SSD begins to go public on a large scale.
It is the same for all new technology in the NAND Flash industry. All the new solutions will suffer doubts, worries, and distrusts when they launch in the market, it will take time to prove their quality. Finally, these new sources or solutions will replace old ones step by step; it is the development of science and technology.
Note: The above content is for reference only, and for more detailed information and product recommendations, please visit HugDIY.
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