2/25/23, 7:29 PM Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and Memory

Ds and Memory cards - Kingston Technology

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.

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2/25/23, 7:29 PM Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and Memory cards - Kingston Technology

Common types of NAND flash storage are SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND. This article discusses the different
characteristics of each type of NAND.
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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

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2/25/23, 7:29 PM Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and Memory cards - Kingston Technology

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
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has a good combination of price, performance, and endurance. However, MLC is more sensitive to data
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errors with 10,000 news and
P/E cycles and more.has a lower endurance compared to SLC. MLC is usually found
therefore
in consumer products where endurance is less important.
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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

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2/25/23, 7:29 PM Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and Memory cards - Kingston Technology

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.
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Therefore, NAND news and
manufacturers more.
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
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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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Flash storage drives

USB flash drives for personal use Solid state drives (SSDs) for laptops,
desktop PCs and workstations

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