We will try to answer the question: which is better MLC or TLC, later in the article. Many users who have had experience with a solid state drive (SSD) talk about it in a positive way. This is not surprising because it has several clear advantages over the usual one. Thanks to an SSD, any game or application loads and runs many times, or even tens of times, faster, and the speed and efficiency of your computer increases significantly. Also important is the durability of solid-state drives. But when choosing such a disk on the computer market, you may encounter a price difference due to the type of memory.
Types of SSD memory
Comparisons and differences between MLC and TLC memory types
- Let’s immediately note an important disk parameter – data recording density. Each disk has its own. In MLC, the chip cell has 2 bits, and in TLC - 3.
- TLC has three times fewer rewrite cycles than MLC.
- MLC erases memory twice as fast as TLC does.
- From these points, it can be noted that if you need a larger disk, then you should take a closer look at TLC.
- If service life and speed are more important to you, then MLC is your choice.
Discs with TLC memory are excellent for storing information if they are not frequently rewritten. SSDs with MLC memory are perfect for standard work; you can install programs that you often use on it. Games that require high data transfer speeds from the computer, as well as operating system, which in critical situations needs to be launched quickly (the speed of loading Windows OS from an SSD can be up to 3 seconds).
There are also some disadvantages of MLC - the price is slightly higher compared to TLC. It is also worth mentioning another type of memory, this is the SLC type. But due to its high cost, the disc does not pretend to be truly popular. If you have reserve savings of about 15 thousand rubles and are ready to spend it on a disk, then you will definitely be satisfied with its performance. These chips have significantly high performance, low power consumption, as well as the highest write speed and other functions. This type of memory is popular when used in high-end servers.
Learn more about NAND memory technology
All three types of memory belong to the same NAND technology. The difference is that each of them has a different number of charges. The principle of operation is the same for all types; when voltage occurs, the cell changes its state from “Off” to the “On” state. The TLC type uses eight voltage values to represent eight logical value states (111, 110, 101, 100, 011, 010, 001, 000) or 3-bit information. The SLC type uses 2 states to represent two logical values (0 and 1). For the MLC type, 4 values are allocated to represent the logical states (11, 10, 01, 00).
Number of values in memory type SLC uses only 2 voltage values, they can express more accurate values, while reducing the possibility of misinterpretation of the state of the current cell and allows the use of standard NAND error correction methods. When using TLC, the likelihood of read errors increases, so this type of memory requires more space ECC (error correction code), because in TLC you need to correct 3 bits at once, instead of 2 in MLC and 1 in SLC.
3D NAND memory These types of memory can be found when choosing disks. If you come across them on the market, know that this means placing flash memory cells on chips in several layers (in conventional MLC or TLC they are located in one layer). TLC labeled 3D NAND is today more efficient and reliable than its “flat” counterpart. For example, Samsung stated that their V-NAND memory product has higher performance characteristics than planar MLC.
What type of memory should you choose for your computer?
If we talk about using the drive in everyday tasks, then we can exclude the option with SLC altogether. The reason is simple - its high price. A good option would be to choose TLC NAND memory type for your SSD; its price and overall efficiency are quite acceptable for the average user. This choice is for those who are not chasing maximum computer speed and for whom the result of speeding up the computer by 5% is not so important. Yes, they are a little slower than MLC, but they still work several times faster than regular ones hard drives, and the price can be significantly lower than that of a relative. MLC memory is more “advanced” and is suitable for lovers of the latest “toys” who need maximum speed exchange of information and greater comfort in working with a computer, as well as for those who intend to store important data for a long time.
Which SSD memory to choose For a clearer understanding of SSD types, whether it is better to buy MLC or TLC, watch the video
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SSDs have long migrated from the category of elite drives to the “must have” field. When assembling a more or less productive gaming system, and simply working system, you already need to think about a high-speed drive, which is noticeably faster and more stable than the good old hard drives.
But many people stumble upon the first nuance: which type of memory is better? There are 3 categories:
- SLC (single) – 1 bit per cell;
- MLC (multi) – 2 bits per cell;
- TLC (triple) – 3 bits per cell.
The first category is used in the top segment, so we will not consider it. We are interested in a more popular solution, namely MLC or TLC. Is there a difference between them, which is more productive, cheaper and more reliable, and which SSD is better?
Key differences
The first thing to note is the data recording density. Each type of SSD has its own characteristics. For TLC chips it is higher, since 3 bits fit into a cell, while MLC has only 2. The larger the SSD capacity, the more often you will encounter Triple options. And the thought immediately appears that you need to immediately run and buy the first option, without even considering all the others, but no.
In addition to density, there are also factors in the speed of reading and rewriting data. Have you ever wondered why TLC solutions with similar storage capacity are cheaper? Because in MLC the number of cycles for completely erasing information is 30-50% higher. If we talk about rewriting, then the technology is 2-3 times ahead of its cheaper opponent. Another thing is that 1 GB of TLC memory will cost you much less.
Data Security
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First, decide for what purpose the SSD will be used: for a system or as a data storage. Often it is purchased specifically for installing the OS and key programs so that the latter react noticeably faster, because Flash memory is static, which means the read and write speed is several orders of magnitude higher than that of a HDD due to the absence of mechanical parts.
Do you store anything important but update the data frequently? Use MLC memory due to its reliability. Are you planning to create an archive of music, films or games, as well as secondary programs? Then feel free to buy the version with TLC chips. Leave the hard drive as a “dump” for all the material available on the PC. It is worth moving only the most frequently used applications and games to the SSD, so as not to once again take up high-speed disk space.
Life time
As for the “life” of the device, for TLC this figure is about 5-6 years or about 1000 cycles of complete rewriting of information. For MLC, the figure increases to 7-8 years at 3000 cycles. But the “either-or” rule doesn’t apply here. One of the chips may well fail, so don’t expect it to work for 15 years.
But you shouldn’t forget about HDD either. Traditional magnetic disks have one important advantage over solid-state disks - service life. If the Winchester begins to “crumble,” it is gradually. This can be checked in utilities like Victoria by checking the disk for bad sectors. SSDs “die” suddenly, but extremely rarely.
conclusions
Which memory is better? In terms of speed and cost of 1 GB, TLC is the leader, in terms of reliability - MLC. SSD is a very interesting type of memory, which should soon, if not completely, then thoroughly displace HDD from its pedestal. Compare models before you buy. Watch tests, reviews, guides and draw conclusions. There are no bad drives. Some are overrated.
An easy way to speed up your computer is to install an SSD drive on it. We already talked about it in one of the previous articles. These drives come in several types, and I would like to devote today’s article to just that. The first is a SATA solid-state drive; it usually comes in a 2.5" form factor and is a universal solution with very good speed and a fairly reasonable price.
It is suitable for any computer, almost any laptop (there are exceptions, such as SONY models, which use a 1.8" form factor drive). Next on the list we have PCI, especially pay attention to SSD PCI 3.0 - they have just crazy speed and you might be surprised at the performance you get with these drives.
But, like all good things, they have one drawback - a fairly high price, which is often 2 or even 3 times higher than regular SSD SATA 2.5 drives. There are also mSATA (in the picture below), which is short for “mini SATA”, they are most often used in laptops, however, in terms of speed, such drives are no different from regular SATA 2, that is, it is the same, but in a smaller form -factor.
Look how much smaller the mSATA SSD drive is (green printed circuit board top) compared to a conventional 2.5" hard drive
It is noteworthy that there are SSDs exclusively for Apple (even here they remain separate “personalities”), and they are even more expensive, although in terms of performance they are no different from the same PCI SSDs. The recording speed here can be 700 MB/s - which is an excellent indicator.
If you want to buy an SSD for yourself, then in any case you will have to choose between SATA and PCI versions, and there is a question of price. If you spend a lot of time on your computer, then be sure to try the PCI version of the drive. Because it itself goes in a RAID array (this is when 2 hard drives are combined into one, roughly speaking), in this case the information is read from two devices at once, which speeds up the system by exactly 2 times.
PCI SSD - installed internally system unit computer
That is, for example, the same Windows is installed on 2 flash drives (2 different chips) at once and read from them simultaneously, which is a truly great solution for increasing computer performance, I definitely recommend purchasing it.
If you just want to somehow speed up your old computer, which you may soon be planning to change to something more productive, or you just want to try for the first time solid state drive in work - I definitely recommend that everyone take the familiar and time-tested SATA 2.5 SSD.
When choosing external memory For home computer, users often wonder which is better - MLC or TLC, parameters specified in the drive specifications.
External SSD drives have become a common addition to almost any computer, as they are easy to use, easily connect to USB inputs, store a huge amount of information and are compact in size. Few users buy an additional one to expand memory capacity. magnetic disk, since it is much more expensive than the external one, and you’ll have a hard time connecting it.
Therefore more common problem becomes a choice among the SSD drives offered on the market. In this case, they pay attention to the MLC and TLC parameters, which significantly affect the price.
It should be noted that sometimes you can find another parameter - SLC. Discs that have technical specifications This parameter is indicated, they are noticeably more expensive and are less common, since users usually look for high-volume drives at a low price. So, the mysterious parameter designations simply indicate the number of bits stored in one storage cell of the drive:
- SLC - Single Levell Cell - 1 bit of information per cell;
- MLC - Multi Level Cell - 2 bits per cell;
- TLC - Triple Level Cell - 3 bits.
It is clear that the information density in TLC drives is higher than in MLC or SLC, so this parameter is more common among the largest drives. Why, among disks with the same memory, are TLC cheaper than MLC? The fact is that recording density is not the most important parameter of disc quality. The speed of recording and erasing information and the number of write cycles are also important.
Discs with MLC technology have erase times that are approximately 50% faster than TLC and have three times the number of rewrite cycles. The parameters for drives with old SLC technology are even better. Their erase time is 3 times less than TLC, and the number of cycles is 100 times greater. However, the cost of manufacturing 1 GB of memory using TLC technology is much lower than using MLC and SLC technologies.
Therefore, before deciding which is better, TLC or MLC, you should understand for yourself why you are buying external memory.
If the disk will store important information, which is also often overwritten, it is better to choose more expensive MLC drives. If you just need a large amount of external memory, say, for an archive of music or films, then you can buy a larger and cheaper TLC disk, which will last 5-6 years with fairly frequent rewriting.
The number of rewrite cycles for TLC disks is, on average, about 1000. For MLC, this figure reaches 3000, so its reliability is higher with frequent use. For the most important tasks and information, traditional magnetic hard drives are usually used. HDDs, which even fail gradually rather than suddenly. That is why HDDs are used as system drives. But their cost is also quite high.
Below is the table popular models TLC and MLC discs with comparative characteristics and prices:
|
Drive brand |
Volume, GB |
Memory type |
Reading speed |
Price, rub |
|
KINGSTON SMS200S3 |
77000 |
1 890 |
||
|
A-DATA 550 ASP550SS3-120GM |
60000 |
2 990 |
||
|
CORSAIR Force LE CSSD-F480GBLEB |
83000 |
8 890 |
||
|
Transcend 500 SATA SLC |
85000 |
40 701 |
Massive 3D NAND MLC and TLC memory
New technologies make it possible to increase the density of memory cells in a single chip and make SSD drives more capacious. An example of such new products is 3D NAND technology, which has already been introduced by some manufacturers.
Although the first volumetric chips were of the TLC type, . The volumetric arrangement of the cells allows for increased performance, but it is necessary to understand that in 3D NAND, only 2 bits of information are still stored in one MLC cell, that is, in this respect it does not differ from the previous structure.
The main advantage of new 3D NAND drives is a higher cell density, which means more compact dimensions. In many situations, this benefit is key, even if the reliability and write cycles are lower than SLC drives.
Cost of three-dimensional SSD drives so far slightly higher than two-dimensional ones with comparable capacities:
| Drive brand | Volume, GB | Memory type | Write speed, MB/sec | Price, rub |
| Samsung 850 PRO | 256 | MLC 3D NAND | 520 | 8 499 |
| Samsung 850 EVO | 250 | TLC 3D NAND | 520 | 6 499 |
| Goodram CL100 | 240 | TLC | 400 | 5 490 |
| SiliconPower Slim S60 | 240 | MLC | 300 | 5790 |
This is due to the limited number of manufacturers capable of using NAND technology. However, over time, the price of bulk SSDs is unlikely to differ much, since such production allows significant savings in raw materials, although it requires significant initial costs.