Choosing an SSD is now at the forefront when building a gaming PC. If you previously wanted to use a solid-state drive, but were afraid to talk because of its cost, now some people can safely transfer the entire system to this type of disk. Therefore, if you decide to improve your system, then you will have to find out which is better: TLC or MLC? Or is there any other option?
Benefits
Let's first try to figure out why everyone began to switch massively from HDD to SSD or use both disks together.
So, with respect to railway, SSD stand out completely silent and high mechanical resistance. This is all due to the fact that they are devoid of moving elements. In addition, the solid state drive has a stable file reading time. Moreover, it does not matter where they are hidden in the system. The disk quickly loads them without braking.
The read and write speeds were higher. In some cases, it approaches the bandwidth of the notorious SATA interfaces. Sometimes SSDs use faster slots such as PCI Express, NGFF, etc.
The next advantage is the amount of input and output per second. This is realized due to the simultaneous launch of several processes and low latency. Now you do not need to wait until the disk makes a revolution to give access to data.
It is impossible not to mention the low power consumption and low sensitivity to external electromagnetic fields. And finally, the dimensions of the SSD. Due to the fact that we have before us a 2.5-inch drive or even M.2 format, you can even put it in a netbook.
Design
Before you figure out which type of SSD is better: TLC or MLC, you need to at least roughly understand what it is. To do this, consider the design of a solid state drive.
Most standard models are covered in a protective case. If you look inside, you can notice the controller. This is a conditionally small computer that has its own tasks. It controls the exchange of information between the device and the PC.
Another element of the SSD was the buffer memory. DDR is implemented in a small volume, which is independent of energy consumption. Buffer memory is needed to store the cache. And the third element is flash memory. It is made by memory chips, which are already dependent on power consumption. It is this element that is responsible for recording your personal data.
The choice
Before we analyze in detail which is better: TLC or MLC memory, some general information. Besides the fact that initially choosing an SSD is not an easy thing, it turns out that we have to understand the endless technical characteristics. Such information is not easy for everyone.
But, unfortunately, in this case it is necessary to understand memory types. In addition to the main ones, which we will describe further, there are variations of V-NAND or 3D NAND. It is also better to briefly know about them.
Types
If you have ever seen a hard drive and a solid-state drive, then you understand that they are structurally different and, accordingly, have a different mechanism of operation. The latter option works with flash memory.
It is represented by special cells, which are placed on the board in a special order. All of them are based on semiconductors. Hence the several types of SSDs: TLC and MLC. Which is better, everyone decides for himself or buys devices at random.
Memory storage
It so happened that flash memory on a solid-state drive can be implemented due to the principles of memory storage. From here there are two groups. One has types based on the principle of reading and writing (NAND).
There is an option in which the memory is stored with different technologies: SLC and MLC. The first option is presented in such a way that for one cell there is only one bit of information. In the second case, 2 bits or more.
It is believed that the TLC memory refers to the MLC. The only difference is that for the first option, you can store 2 bits, and for the second - 3 bits. Now it remains to understand what this means and what type of “SSD” is better: TLC and MLC.
Benefits
Since TLC is a subtype of MLC, it is fair to say that the second type is predominant. What is its superiority? Firstly, it has a higher speed. As practice shows, it can last a little longer. And also all its resources do not require large expenditures of energy consumption.
But besides this, there are some disadvantages. The main one, of course, was the cost of the device with MLC.
Different situation
There are some problems you may encounter. The fact is that the above cases are a general situation. In reality, developers can confuse customers well. Therefore, thinking about which is better: TLC or MLC, you can see:
- The same speed for both types when connected to SATA III. Some models can be distinguished by a special speed based on TLC, due to the fact that they use the PCI-E interface NVMe. Although, as practice shows, the more expensive the drive, the faster it is. And with high probability it will be based on MLC.
- There are models in which a device with a TLC has a longer warranty period than its older "brother".
- The energy issue may differ from the standard state of things. Understanding which is better: TLC or MLC, look at the interfaces with which they work. For example, TLC on SATA III is much more economical than MLC with PCI-E.
By the way, you can meet the difference in performance even when you install the drive first in one port, and then in another. In this case, power consumption can vary greatly.
Other differences
The situations described above are not unique. Differences in the values of the speed parameters, the terms of operation and energy consumption may also depend on the generation of the device. It is easy to guess that if the model is new, then its old model will be slightly worse.
Solid-state drive manufacturing technologies are developing, and we get increased volumes and amounts of free space, increased speed indicators and reduced temperature values.
As a result, it is impossible to say which SSD is better: TLC or MLC. You can definitely buy an outdated MLC model, which will noticeably differ in performance from TLC for the worse. In this case, the cost of both devices will be the same.
Therefore, when choosing, pay attention to all the parameters, it is better to compare them immediately, so that you do not regret the purchase later. Well, it’s advisable to immediately set a budget for yourself. So it will be easier for you to group those models that suit you both in cost and in parameters.
Identification
If you decide to find out which is better: SSD TLC vs MLC, when you already purchased a solid state drive, then you will want to identify the type of memory in your device. It so happened that on the disks themselves this information is not. In addition, even if you install some kind of utility for the test, you still will not get an answer. What to do in this case?
The easiest way is to go online. Here you can enter the name of the model and analyze it by reviews. There are even special sites that have the entire database of solid state drives. There is absolutely all the specifications for many popular models.
Problems
But not everything is so smooth. It is possible that some of the users came across an SSD from Silicon Power Slim. This is a fairly popular model that has been on the market for more than 3 years. At the time of its appearance, it stood out for its low cost.
Although this story is confusing and long, it’s worth briefly knowing about it. The cheapness of this disc was dictated by the choice of a new platform from a Taiwanese company. She was revolutionary. This was immediately clear from the characteristics of the devices. But there were a few problems.
Firstly, the company did not bother to transfer all of its models to this new platform, so some of the disks were sold on an outdated base. Secondly, because of the desire to become popular, the developer had to make constant changes.
As a result, some models changed the type of memory and even the volume. A package with a 120 GB SSD might have a 60 GB disk. And the indication of the MLC chip did not mean at all that the user would receive a disk precisely on the basis of this type. The result: a huge number of disgruntled owners who got a slow memory.
Manufacturers
Oddly enough, there are few developers who themselves would produce and sell discs. This is due to the fact that not all firms can have the necessary resources. Hence, a large number of companies that purchase individual parts, and in their office just put everything together and sculpt a sticker.
Independent production is organized in units. They care about the product, because they care about what kind of feedback their offspring get.
The following major manufacturers are working on memory:
- Intel
- Micron
- Samsung
- Toshiba
- SanDisk
- Hynix
The first two companies chose the same production technology. This is because they use a joint venture.
Other options
If you already understand what is better: TLC or MLC, it remains to deal with another type of memory. Sometimes in the reviews of solid state drives you can find strange signs: V-NAND, 3D-NAND, etc. This is another experiment that the manufacturer offers. Such a disk was made using other technologies.
In this case, the memory cells are not placed in one layer, but in several. Moreover, the memory used is TLC and MLC. This fact is not always indicated, but you must understand that the chips themselves are of a familiar type.
If we talk about performance, then we can say that 3D-NAND is slightly better. Firstly, it is associated with low cost and great opportunities. Secondly, multi-layer placement is more reliable and efficient. This can be proved by testing two models: “flat” and “bulk” MLC.
findings
It is impossible to answer the question of what is best for the system: TLC or MLC. Very often, when users ask a similar question, you get into an awkward position. Well, it's hard to understand what goals and objectives the buyer is pursuing. Perhaps he needs a super-productive system. Then he definitely needs a disk with MLC.
What if he needs a regular working PC. In this case, he may not need a solid-state drive at all. All these are individual problems that everyone should solve independently.