Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and Memory cards
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What is NAND?
NAND is a non-volatile flash memory which can hold data even when it’s not connected to a power source. The ability to retain data when the power is turned off makes NAND a great option for internal, external and portable devices. USB drives, SSDs and SD cards all utilise flash technology, providing memory for devices such as your mobile phone or digital camera.
There are several types of NAND on the market. In simplest terms, what separates each type is the number of bits that can be stored per cell. The bits represent an electrical charge which can only hold one of two values, 0 or 1, on/off.
The key differences between the types of NAND are the cost, capacity, and endurance. Endurance is determined by the number of Programme-Erase (P/E) cycles a flash cell can undergo before it starts to wear out. A P/E cycle is the process of erasing and writing a cell and the more P/E cycles that the NAND technology can sustain the better the endurance of the device.
Common types of NAND flash storage are SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND. This article discusses the different characteristics of each type of NAND.
SLC NAND
Pro: Highest endurance — Con: Expensive and low capacities
Single-level cell (SLC) NAND stores only 1 bit of information per cell. The cell stores either a 0 or 1 and as a result, the data can be written and retrieved faster.
SLC provides the best performance and the highest endurance with 100,000 P/E cycles so it will last longer than the other types of NAND. However, its low data density makes SLC the most expensive type of NAND and therefore not commonly used in consumer products. It is typically used for servers and other industrial applications that require speed and endurance.
MLC NAND
Pro: Cheaper than SLC — Con: Slower and less endurance than SLC
Multi-level cell (MLC) NAND stores multiple bits per cell, although the term MLC typically equates to 2 bits per cell. MLC has a higher data density than SLC so can therefore be produced in larger capacities. MLC has a good combination of price, performance, and endurance. However, MLC is more sensitive to data errors with 10,000 P/E cycles and therefore has a lower endurance compared to SLC. MLC is usually found in consumer products where endurance is less important.
TLC NAND
Pro: Cheapest and high capacities — Con: Low endurance
Triple-level cell (TLC) NAND stores 3 bits per cell.
By adding more bits per cell, this reduces the cost and increases the capacity. However, this has negative effects on performance and endurance, with only 3,000 P/E cycles. Many consumer products will use TLC as it is the cheapest option.
3D NAND
In the last ten years, 3D NAND has been one of the biggest innovations in the flash market. Flash manufacturers developed 3D NAND to correct the problems they were facing with scaling down 2D NAND in order to achieve higher densities at a lower cost. In 2D NAND, the cells that store the data are placed horizontally, side by side. This means that the amount of space that the cells can be placed onto is limited and trying to make the cells smaller reduces their reliability.
Therefore, NAND manufacturers decided to stack the cells in a different dimension, which led to 3D NAND where the cells are stacked vertically. The higher memory density allows for higher storage capacities without the huge price increase.
3D NAND also provides better endurance and lower power consumption.
Overall, NAND is an extremely important memory technology as it provides fast erase and write times at a lower cost per bit. With the growth of the gaming industry, NAND technology looks to develop further in order to help satisfy consumers ever-increasing storage needs.
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MLC vs. TLC: Which Is the Better SSD?
In this article, we’ll review the key differences between MLC and TLC SSDs, including their differences in cost, performance, reliability, and endurance. We’ll also discuss some of the key use cases for each type of SSD.
MLC vs. TLC—What Are the Key Differences?
As mentioned above, some people in the data storage space see TLC SSDs as a type of MLC SSD, but this technically isn’t accurate. An MLC SSD, at least according to the way it’s historically been defined, is an SSD that can store two bits of data per cell. If the SSD can store more than two bits of data per cell, it’s not an MLC.
If it can store three bits of data per cell, it’s a TLC.
Accordingly, the most fundamental difference between MLC SSDs and TLC SSDs is the number of charge levels and the corresponding storage capability: TLC SSDs have eight different charge levels and MLC SSDs have four.
TLC and MLC SSDs also differ in terms of cost, reliability, performance, and endurance.
Do TLCs Cost More than MLCs?
Most TLC SSDs cost less than MLC SSDs. That’s because TLCs can store more data than MLCs and also because the cost per unit of storage decreases as storage capacity increases. This has to do with SSDs being cheaper to manufacture the more densely their storage layers are packed. Computerworld estimates that TLCs are 15% to 20% cheaper to produce than MLCs.
Are TLCs More Reliable than MLCs?
In general, the reliability of an SSD decreases the more voltage levels it has because every voltage level adds more room for error. Since TLCs have eight different voltage levels and MLC SSDs have four, TLCs are usually less reliable than MLC SSDs.
More voltage levels make the read process more sensitive to noise.
Do TLCs Perform Better than MLCs?
TLC SSDs are generally slower than MLC SSDs because when data gets read, every voltage level needs to be checked and translated back to bits, and TLC SSDs have four more voltage levels than MLC SSDs.
Do TLCs Have Better Endurance than MLCs?
Since each cell holds more data, drive endurance decreases with every additional cell because the number of P/E cycles the drive can support decreases. Thus, TLC SSDs tend to have lower write endurance than MLC SSDs.
Should You Buy an MLC SSD or a TLC SSD for Your NAS, SAN, or Server?
If you require low cost and high density, MLC flash is the right choice. However, a TLC SSD is probably more suitable for commercial or end-consumer uses because of its endurance limitations.
MLC SSDs are considered the consumer-grade flavor of flash cell SSDs and make it possible to economically add flash storage to PCs and laptops.
TLC SSDs, on the other hand, are best suited for read-heavy applications, including data analytics, AI, NoSQL databases, and streaming media.
If you can afford the higher price, MLC SSDs offer better performance, endurance, and reliability. This makes them a better choice for things like:
- USB drives
- Enterprise- and consumer-grade SSDs
- Storage cards for digital cameras and mobile phones
That said, keep in mind that SSD quality can vary greatly from brand to brand and manufacturer to manufacturer, and it’s important to let your business needs drive your choices.
Storage Capacity without Compromise—FlashArray//C
For more than your regular MLC or TLC SSD, try Pure Storage®FlashArray//C, which uses DirectFlash® modules to reduce latency and increase throughput by allowing raw flash to connect directly via NVMe. FlashArray//C optimizes the flash module performance while delivering per-capacity costs comparable to hybrid and HDD storage arrays.
FlashArray//C also provides:
- A single pane of glass for managing all storage resources
- Evergreen™ Storage for true non-disruptive upgrades with zero downtime and no data migrations
- A modern data storage solution providing the operational agility to handle both performance-sensitive and capacity-oriented workloads
Learn more about FlashArray//C.
Differences between SLC, MLC, TLC, and 3D NAND memory types in USB drives, SSDs, and memory cards
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Apr 2021
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What is NAND?
NAND is a non-volatile flash memory that can store data even when not connected to a power source.
The ability to retain data when the power is turned off makes NAND a great option for internal, external, and portable devices. USB flash drives, solid state drives and SD cards use flash technology to provide storage for devices such as mobile phones and digital camcorders.
There are several types of NAND memory on the market. Simply put, each type differs in the number of bits that can be stored in each cell. Bits represent an electrical charge that can only contain one of two values - 0 or 1 (on/off).
The key differences between NAND memory types are cost, capacity, and lifetime. The resource is determined by the number of Program-Erase (P/E) cycles that a flash memory cell can withstand before it wears out. A P/E cycle is the process of erasing and writing a cell, and the more P/E cycles NAND technology can withstand, the longer the life of the device.
Standard NAND flash types are SLC, MLC, TLC, and 3D NAND. This article discusses the various characteristics of each type of NAND memory.
SLC NAND
Advantages: Highest resource — Disadvantages: High cost and low capacity
Single Level Cell (SLC) NAND memory stores only 1 bit of information per cell. A cell stores either 0 or 1, and as a result, writing and retrieving data can be faster. SLC provides the highest performance and resource: 100,000 P/E cycles That is, this memory lasts longer than other types of NAND memory. However, due to its low data density, SLC is the most expensive type of NAND and is therefore not commonly used in consumer products. Its typical applications are servers and other industrial equipment requiring high speed and durability.
MLC NAND
Advantages: Cheaper than SLC memory — Disadvantages: Lower performance and resource compared to SLC
Multi-level cell (MLC) NAND memory technology stores a few bits per cell, although the term MLC usually refers to 2 bits per cell. MLC has a higher data density than SLC, and therefore allows you to create media of higher capacity.
MLC memory is a good combination of price, performance and durability. However, MLC memory providing 10,000 P/E cycles is more sensitive to data errors and has a shorter life compared to SLC. MLC memory is typically used in consumer products where durability is not as important.
TLC NAND
Advantages: Lowest price and high capacity — Disadvantages: Poor durability
Tri-Level Cell (TLC) NAND stores 3 bits per cell. By increasing the number of bits per cell, the price is reduced and the capacity is increased. However, this negatively affects performance and resource (total 3000 P / E cycles ). Many consumer products use TLC memory as the cheapest option..
3D NAND
In the last decade, one of the biggest innovations in the flash memory market has been 3D NAND. Flash memory manufacturers developed 3D NAND technology to overcome the problems they encountered with downsizing 2D NAND in an attempt to achieve higher densities at lower cost.
In 2D NAND memory, cells that store data are placed horizontally, next to each other. This means that the amount of space in which the cells can be placed is limited, and trying to reduce the size of the cells reduces their reliability.
Therefore, NAND memory manufacturers decided to arrange the cells in space differently, which led to the creation of 3D NAND memory with a vertical arrangement of cells. Higher memory density allows you to increase capacity without a significant increase in price. The 3D NAND memory also offers higher durability and lower power consumption.
All in all, NAND is an extremely important memory technology because it enables fast erasing and writing of data at a lower cost per bit. With the growth of the gaming industry, the development of NAND technology will continue to meet the ever-increasing storage needs of consumers.
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ADATA XPG SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 NVMe SSD Review: High Performance in Any Size
ADATA has an extremely large consumer NVMe SSD portfolio with most of the management solutions available on the open market.
Not all of them have been particularly successful, but the devices most recently used a formula that has worked well for several other players in the SSD market: a Silicon Motion SM2262 controller paired with up to 64 layers of Intel/Micron 3D TLC NAND flash. The SSATA ADATA XPG SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 differ mainly in the brands and design of their heatsinks, but both share the same SSD architecture which we believe offers a fantastic combination of high performance and reasonable price.
The SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 replace several older ADATA SSDs that use the first Silicon Motion SSM NVD controller, the SM2260. The XPG SX8000 paired this controller with a 32 micron MLC NAND controller, while the XPG SX7000 and GAMMIX S10 used a 32 micron TLC 3D NAND. ADATA’s first generation NVMe devices suffered from the limitations of the SM2260 controller and NAND 3D from Intel and first generation Micron. Therefore, even the use of MLC NAND in the SX8000 could not provide good performance for TLC-based SSDs like the Samsung 9.
60EVO. The SX7000 and GAMMIX S10 were still poor, and despite the ADATA brand (and prices) as advanced SSDs, they were among the NVM SSDs on the market longer and couldn’t beat the solid SSD standard.
| ADATA | |||
| Model | XPG SX8200, XPG GAMMIX S11 |
XPG SX8000 | XPG SX7000, XPG GAMMIX S10 |
| Tank | 240–960 Go | 128 Jump — 1 To | 128 Jump — 1 To |
| Check | Silicon movement SM2262 | Silicon movement SM2260 | |
| NAND Flash | Micron 64L 3D TLC | Micron 32L 3D MLC | Micron 32L 3D TLC |
| Shape factor | Double sided M. 2-2280, PCIe 3.0 x4 |
||
| Protocols | NVMe 1.3 | NVMe 1.2 | |
| Sequential reading | 3150-3200 Mo/s | 1000-2400 Mo/s | 660-1750 Mo/s |
| Sequential letter | 1100-1700 Mo/s | 300-1000 Mo/s | 450-860 Mo/s |
| Random read | 200,000 — 310,000 IOPS | 45,000-100,000 IOPS | 35,000 — 130,000 IOPS |
| Random letter | 240,000 — 280,000 IOPS | 75,000 — 140,000 IOPS | 95,000 — 140,000 IOPS |
| Warranty | 5 years | ||
| Write persistence | 0. 37 DWPD |
0.34 DWPD | 0.34 DWPD |
| Advertised | March 2018 (SX8200) April 2018 (S11) |
September 2016 | April 2017 (SX7000) July 2017 (S10) |
ADATA has also published or announced several other SSM NVMe consumers that are not included in the table below. The SX6000 and SX7100 use Realtek controllers, while the SX9000 uses a Marvell controller. Silicon Motion based devices occupy the gaming environment and are the most popular NVM devices and the most affordable ADATA.
Most of the SSD industry is running 64-layer NAND this year (almost exclusively TLC NAND), and this time there are no clear winners or losers in NAND performance. Second-generation Silicon Motion NVM controllers can deliver superior performance on the smaller SM2260 cells, and the advanced SSD market is no longer dominated exclusively by Samsung.
The
Intel was the first to market with the SM2262 controller in a 760p solid state drive that has some specific adaptations to Intel’s Silicon Motion reference concept. The ADATA XPG SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 are much closer to the reference concept, but use NAND that has been packaged and packaged by ADATA and comes with ADATA’s own heatsink concepts. The other SM2262 device we reviewed is the HP EX920 from 1 To. Compared to the EX920, ADATA peripherals have less usable capacity because they reserve more free space, which generally improves write performance in the long run. Today’s exams are focused on the 240GB and 480GB ADATA models, giving us a chance to see how the cheapest of the product line performs at its peak. We can also compare the performance of the SX8200 without a heatsink with the GAMMIX S11 with a heatsink (and with the latest lightweight firmware). Spoiler: these differences are not important for real use. From a practical point of view, the SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 differ only aesthetically.
| Specifications ADATA XPG SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 | |||||
| Tank | 240th | 480th | 960 Go to | ||
| Check | Silicon movement SM2262 | ||||
| NAND Flash | Micron 64L 3D TLC | ||||
| Form factor interface | M.2-2280, PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 | ||||
| Sequential reading | 3200 Mo/s | 3200 Mo/s | 3150 Mo/s | ||
| Sequential letter | 1100 Mo/s | 1700 Mo/s | 1700 Mo/s | ||
| Random Read IOPS | 200,000 IOPS | 310,000 IOPS | 310,000 IOPS | ||
| Random Write IOPS | 240,000 IOPS | 280,000 IOPS | 280,000 IOPS | ||
| Warranty | 5 years | ||||
| Write tenacity | 160 to 0.  37 DWPD |
320 to 0.37 DWPD |
640 to 0.37 DWPD |
||
| Sale in current details Deserner |
SX8200 | $91.93 (38 cents per ride) | $139.99 (29 cents per trip) | $284.99 (¢30/Go) | |
| S11 | $84.99 (¢35/Go) | $159.99 (¢33/Go) | $299.99 (31 cents/Go) | ||
The ADATA performance specifications for the SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 show that the 240Go models are significantly disabled for all other access models except sequential lectures. However, the smaller SX8200 is estimated to easily outperform the larger, faster model of the SX8000 family. With the transition to high-density NAND 3D, ADATA lost 128 GB of capacity. Performance at this capacity will still be lower on cell phones represented by 240 GB models and will no longer be acceptable with advanced SSM NVMe.
ADATA’s base SX7100 range should retain a 120GB alternative. ADATA hasn’t launched a 2 To M.2 NVMe SSD yet, but they’re ready to expand the SX8200 family to a 1.9 model2 To (usable capacity).
Write endurance for the SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 is easily rated in addition to the typical 0.3 writes per day, and a five-year warranty period is standard on advanced SSDs. The circuit board used in the SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 has components on both sides with all the power, so even without heatsinks, these devices are not returned to all laptops.
XPG The GAMMIX S11 ADATA comes with the same two-tone heatsink diffuser as the GAMMIX S10. The thermal pads wrap around the red sides of the heatsink on the sockets underneath, and the black padding area doesn’t touch the block. The ADATA XPG SX8200 comes with a ready-to-install flat black heatsink and a thermal plug to ensure full contact with the control box, DRAM and NAND cases on top of the unit. For this exam, the SX8200 was tested with no heat spreaders installed.
In addition to comparing the SX8200 and GAMMIX S11 to their immediate ADATA predecessors, this review compares them to the following competitors:
The
The second generation
| Banc d’essai SSD Grand Public AnandTech 2018 | |
| Processor | Intel Xeon E3 1240v5 |
| Mother card | ASRock Fatal1ty E3V5 Performance Game/OC |
| pussy play | Intel S232 |
| memory size | 4x 8 GB G.
|