Choosing the right SSD...


Yep, that's what you quoted me as saying :)


I tend to be brand loyal. I've only used Western Digital HDD drives (beginning with my first PC in 1998). only use Samsung SSD/NVMe drives, Corsair memory, Epson printers, AMD GPU's, Intel CPU's. My last five motherboards have all been Gigabyte (2010-2019).

I've been with all those brands for at least 9 (Samsung, Gigabyte) to 23 years (WD, Epson, Intel). ATI/AMD (video cards) for at least 20 :)

That's me.
SO you are sticking to a brand in each category, and not necessarily a brand for everything.

I have been sticking with an HP Laptop so far when it came to buying a Windows laptop. But now I am open to change.

As with HDDs/ SSDs, I haven't had a single disk fail on me yet. There is one Toshiba that is over 10 years old, that is now showing signs of a problem.

I have a Seagate Backup Plus (powered hard disk) that refused to power up one day, even though it wasn't used much in its 5 years or so with me. I took it to multiple shops and they advised to leave it for data recovery as according to them there is nothing that could be done. We did rule out a power supply issue. I didn't give up. Finally, in one of the shops they just took it apart and tried connecting the disk without its power supply. It did show signs of life.

I brought it back home and tried connecting it properly with its power supply. And it just sprung back to life as if nothing happened. All data was intact and it is working fine. Not sure what was the issue. I believe it had something to do with static electricity since the disk was in storage for a long time without being used.

Seagate, WD, Samsung, Toshiba - I have tried them all and they ALL have performed well. Now Crucial is coming. I hope the experience will continue being great with that too.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
For storage only, I'll take a good HDD (WD Gold, etc.) over an SSD any day.
Isn't that just because of the price differential? What if both HDD and SDD of same capacity was offered to you for the same price?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Isn't that just because of the price differential? What if both HDD and SDD of same capacity was offered to you for the same price?
For storage only, I would still take HDD. Each of my 4 desktops has an NVMe SSD as the system drive plus 2 HDDs for active projects, backups and long term storage. A laptop is the exception. It has NVMe + a SATA SSD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win10 Pro x64 & 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix Z590 Gaming
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3050
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 32UN650 32" 4k
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 @ 60Hz (175% scaling)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe 250GB; WD Gold (WD1005FBYZ) 1TB; WD Black (WD1003FZEX) 1TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Antec P100
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 with Noctua NF-P12 Redux & 120mm Case Fan x3
    Keyboard
    Logitech K740
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Internet Speed
    372 Mb down/12Mb up
    Browser
    Firefox & Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender & Free MBAM
    Other Info
    Main PC
Isn't that dependent on what the partition is used for?

On my T5, I have a total of 10 partitions, of which 8 are APFS+ or HFS+,1 is NTFS and 1 is exFAT. When I connect my T5 to my Windows laptop, the system sees only the last two partitions (NTFS & exFAT).

If these partitions are full, won't it hamper performance since none of the other partitions are visible and therefore it doesn't matter how full or empty they are?

Likewise, I have installed Windows in that NTFS partition. If I boot from it and lets say it is 90% full, won't it hamper performance?

In these cases, I think the SSD can make use of over-provisioning since the unallocated space is always accessible.
You are looking at things the way Windows and the OS sees the SSD. That is not the same way that the onboard drive controller sees the SSD. The onboard drive controller does not see partitions. It only sees cells. An empty cell is an empty cell to the drive controller. A cell is not assigned to any partition until there is data written to it. Once the data is erased from the cell, it goes back into the pool of empty cells and can be assigned to any partition again once data is written to it again. The only time that overprovisioning by reserving unallocated space can be of any benefit is once all the partitions are filled with actual data. Filling the partition 100% with actual data causes the OS and the filesystem to be inefficient, but has no affect on the SSDs efficiency until the entire SSD starts getting filled with actual data.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Isn't that just because of the price differential? What if both HDD and SDD of same capacity was offered to you for the same price?

SATA SSD with the same amount of storage as your old HDD would be prudent. I have an NVMe 500GB primary drive and two 500GB internal SATA SSD for my backups. SSDs are not nearly as expensive as they were ten years ago. You can buy a 1TB SSD for approx. 80.00 USD. Or if your motherboard accommodates an NVMe, 1TB is approx. 90.00 USD. Pretty amazing prices these days.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Build Date: March 2022
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-13900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime 690-P
    Memory
    DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 4600
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4080 12GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (scaled 125%) (144Mhz Refresh Rate)
    PSU
    1000 Watt
    Cooling
    AIO
    Internet Speed
    1GB
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium
SO you are sticking to a brand in each category, and not necessarily a brand for everything.
Yeah, I go by categories as not every brand has everything or does everything right.

It's not that I don't acknowledge other brands, but if a specific brand is working for me on a consistent basis, I see no reason to change. Yeah, anything can break at any given moment, but the key is consistency - I've found those brands constantly perform than not.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
For SSD selection you can't go wrong either m2 NVMe or NGFF or SSD with clock connection III windows boot speed will not drastically speed up only if you want windows to boot up in 1 second then you need to have a powerful comp.
TheMystic you have a 3rd generation processor and now and now it is the 11th and 12th generations
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 PRO
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    AsRock
    CPU
    Ryzen Threadripper 1920x
    Motherboard
    AsRock Fatal1ty
    Memory
    Hyperx 32GB 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GeForce TURBO RTX 2080Ti 11GB
    Sound Card
    matheboard and Logitech G933 Gaming Headset
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 28"
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    ssd m2 970, 960, ssd 840 EVO 1TB, 4 x 4TB HDD
    PSU
    corsair 1200W
    Case
    big tower
    Cooling
    corsair H150IPro
    Keyboard
    logitech k800
    Mouse
    logitech G603
    Internet Speed
    download 200 Mbps upload 100 Mbps
    Browser
    Maxthon
    Antivirus
    avira
I have recently bought that exact drive, 870 QVO 1TB. I have done a fair bit of testing with it just now, copying folders of large files, folders of small files, of mixed sizes etc.
I was checking for sequential and random read/ writes using files on my system that I use all the time. I see no issues what so ever.
The only time the drive showed dire performance was when I copied a game folder (just over 80Gb) to it, the initial burst was fine but then the speed dropped right down due to the SLC cache being maxed out.
This was not surprising as this is how QLC drives work, and if you buy one for large file manipulation, you will be disappointed, but for general use they are perfectly fine.
When buying any computer tech do your research, buy components suitable for your use case and budget.
TheMystic's guide here is extremely well presented and useful to guide people on future purchases, clearly explaining the terminology used and the way manufacturers like to play the "2" is higher number than "1" "so must be more betterer" game. :)
I'd been looking at these and the QVO has plenty of reviews saying it's not up to scratch (as per the above post) the 970 Evo plus is supposed to be the best one.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 14-ce3514sa
    CPU
    Core i5
    Memory
    16gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 evo plus 2TB
    Cooling
    Could be better
    Internet Speed
    200mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    Originally installed with a 500gb H10 Optane ssd
Money and capacity are the reasons to choose HDD over SSD. For example, I have an external 8TB HDD that I store my Macrium images onto. Some of these images get huge and having super fast speeds isn't what's important, actually having the backup is what matters. Also, storing things like video files or music files. If I have a huge music collection, I don't necessarily need to read the files very fast. If I am listening to a 4 minute song, the drive has 4 minutes to read all of the data.

My son has 2 x 1TB NVMe's in his gaming computer. But we also purchased him an 8TB HDD for that machine. So, when he gets a game that he isn't currently playing, he copies it off the NVMe to reduce his usage there and places it onto the 8TB drive for longer term storage in case he wants to play it again later.

HDD's still have their place.
Likewise. My stepson needs more storage on his gaming PC. Nearly got the 2tb Evo 970 plus to replace his 250gb ssd. But instead, got a bigger western digital hdd to replace the 1tb hdd. The first cost £170, the hdd cost £45. And he really didn't need the ssd for the storage. Cheaper option when he wants stuff for Christmas as well.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 14-ce3514sa
    CPU
    Core i5
    Memory
    16gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 evo plus 2TB
    Cooling
    Could be better
    Internet Speed
    200mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    Originally installed with a 500gb H10 Optane ssd
do we still have SLC in market?

Not really. Optane Xpoint technology is what is in that space now. It is better than nand technology in several ways (speed, durability to name 2).
SLC is still being used as write cache (and persistent internal bookeeping data storage I imagine) on some TLC drives (like the Samsung 970 Evo and 980 Pro).
 
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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
I'd been looking at these and the QVO has plenty of reviews saying it's not up to scratch (as per the above post) the 970 Evo plus is supposed to be the best one.
What exactly do you mean by "not up to scratch"? Under what use case and conditions are the reviewers testing the drives?
My point was that if you buy QLC drives knowing and accepting the limitations, and those drives suit your usage and budget, then they are perfectly fine.
The two main issues with QLC drives are a lack of dedicated, dynamic cache and lower endurance than other types. For lots of large file transfers and constant write operations (such as a scratch disk) the drives are unsuitable, for all other uses they behave no differently than other SSDs.
I have a QLC NVME, a QLC 2.5" SSD and a couple of MLC 2.5" SSDs, these are the benchmarks, C is the NVME, D is the QLC, F is the MLC;
C_Test.png
D_Test.png
F_Test.png
I see no difference really, yes the NVME isn't the fastest but they all operate according to spec (SATA 3 and Gen3 x4).
As I said in my previous post, I have never been using my computer with these SSDs and thought "god, I wish these drives were faster".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS Custom 1700
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Creator B660 D4
    Memory
    64GB DDR 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gigabyte G32QC 32inch 16:9 curved @2560 x 1440p 165Hz Freesync Premium Pro/ Dell SE2422H 24inch 16:9 1920 x 1080p 75Hz Freesync
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p & 1920 x 1080p
    Hard Drives
    WD SN570 1TB NVME (Boot), Samsung 870QVO 1TB (SSD), SanDisk 3D Ultra 500Gb (SSD) x2, Seagate 3Tb Expansion Desk (Ext HDD), 2x Toshiba 1Tb P300 (Ext HDD)
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X Modular
    Case
    Corsair 4000D Airflow Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H150i RGB Pro XT 360mm Liquid Cooler, 3 x 120mm fans, 1x Exhaust
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    800Mbs
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Defender, Malwarebytes
For storage only, I would still take HDD. Each of my 4 desktops has an NVMe SSD as the system drive plus 2 HDDs for active projects, backups and long term storage. A laptop is the exception. It has NVMe + a SATA SSD.
And your reasons for preferring the HDD over SSD?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
SATA SSD with the same amount of storage as your old HDD would be prudent. I have an NVMe 500GB primary drive and two 500GB internal SATA SSD for my backups. SSDs are not nearly as expensive as they were ten years ago. You can buy a 1TB SSD for approx. 80.00 USD. Or if your motherboard accommodates an NVMe, 1TB is approx. 90.00 USD. Pretty amazing prices these days.
Higher capacity (over 1 TB) SSDs are still expensive. I find it strange that SATA SSDs are still selling for roughly the same price as midrange NVMe SSDs, even though the NVMe disks are atleast 7 times faster.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
You are looking at things the way Windows and the OS sees the SSD. That is not the same way that the onboard drive controller sees the SSD. The onboard drive controller does not see partitions. It only sees cells. An empty cell is an empty cell to the drive controller. A cell is not assigned to any partition until there is data written to it. Once the data is erased from the cell, it goes back into the pool of empty cells and can be assigned to any partition again once data is written to it again. The only time that overprovisioning by reserving unallocated space can be of any benefit is once all the partitions are filled with actual data. Filling the partition 100% with actual data causes the OS and the filesystem to be inefficient, but has no affect on the SSDs efficiency until the entire SSD starts getting filled with actual data.
Does the controller not need the OS to do its thing?

If the controller didn't use (need) the OS, I don't understand why filling up a partition should cause efficiency issue if there is empty space in partitions that the OS doesn't see. Can you explain that?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
For SSD selection you can't go wrong either m2 NVMe or NGFF or SSD with clock connection III windows boot speed will not drastically speed up only if you want windows to boot up in 1 second then you need to have a powerful comp.
TheMystic you have a 3rd generation processor and now and now it is the 11th and 12th generations
I thought mine was a 2nd generation processor.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I'd been looking at these and the QVO has plenty of reviews saying it's not up to scratch (as per the above post) the 970 Evo plus is supposed to be the best one.
QVO SSDs are NOT as bad as some are making it out to be.

They are built for the average (majority) consumer in a way that the limitations are mostly not something one would experience in routine use.

As with warranty, they had to keep it at 3 years as opposed to 5 years given for TLC SSDs. That's just to give the buyer an extra reason to justify the premium required for TLC over QLC, or the TLCs won't sell. But if you look at 300+ TBW, that is already a lot of data.

I'm using the Samsung 860 EVO for the last 3 years (as my boot disk), and it is currently under 12 TBW. At this rate, this disk is supposed to last me for the next 90 years (approx.) to reach 360 TBW. That's plenty of data and unlikely to be utilized for most users.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
What exactly do you mean by "not up to scratch"? Under what use case and conditions are the reviewers testing the drives?
My point was that if you buy QLC drives knowing and accepting the limitations, and those drives suit your usage and budget, then they are perfectly fine.
The two main issues with QLC drives are a lack of dedicated, dynamic cache and lower endurance than other types. For lots of large file transfers and constant write operations (such as a scratch disk) the drives are unsuitable, for all other uses they behave no differently than other SSDs.
I have a QLC NVME, a QLC 2.5" SSD and a couple of MLC 2.5" SSDs, these are the benchmarks, C is the NVME, D is the QLC, F is the MLC;
View attachment 15838
View attachment 15839
View attachment 15840
I see no difference really, yes the NVME isn't the fastest but they all operate according to spec (SATA 3 and Gen3 x4).
As I said in my previous post, I have never been using my computer with these SSDs and thought "god, I wish these drives were faster".

You can think of QLC like the the equivalent of HDD IMO. So as long as it is near HDD pricing...

Having said that, how the QLC will perform in large writes depends on what it uses for its write cache. A QLC SSD is bolstered with a higher speed write cache. For instance, the 1TB Samsung QVO has an SLC cache of 48 GB and 1 GB DRAM. That should be adequate for many uses. The 1TB QVO can write at 500 MB/s until the SLC cache fills then it drops to the QLC speed of < 100 MB/s - around half the speed of a modern HDD. AnandTech reviews of SSD include detailed information on the amount of cache and DRAM, and they do measurements on the effects the caching has on performance.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
QVO SSDs are NOT as bad as some are making it out to be.

They are built for the average (majority) consumer in a way that the limitations are mostly not something one would experience in routine use.

As with warranty, they had to keep it at 3 years as opposed to 5 years given for TLC SSDs. That's just to give the buyer an extra reason to justify the premium required for TLC over QLC, or the TLCs won't sell. But if you look at 300+ TBW, that is already a lot of data.

I'm using the Samsung 860 EVO for the last 3 years (as my boot disk), and it is currently under 12 TBW. At this rate, this disk is supposed to last me for the next 90 years (approx.) to reach 360 TBW. That's plenty of data and unlikely to be utilized for most users.

The warranty on QLC SSD are less because they are not as durable. They wear out faster because fewer erase cycles can be performed on the NAND cells before they fail.
Erase cycles before failure: SLC > MLC > TLC > QLC. It is not a marketing ploy.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
The warranty on QLC SSD are less because they are not as durable. They wear out faster because fewer erase cycles can be performed on the NAND cells before they fail.
Erase cycles before failure: SLC > MLC > TLC > QLC. It is not a marketing ploy.
Yes, while that is true, the TBW on QLCs are plenty for the average consumer.

300+ TBW would require decades of writing for the average consumer. So most users need not worry too much about durability.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Does the controller not need the OS to do its thing?

If the controller didn't use (need) the OS, I don't understand why filling up a partition should cause efficiency issue if there is empty space in partitions that the OS doesn't see. Can you explain that?
The OS can only use the space that is partitioned. If the partition is 99% full, then the OS only has 1% of the space in the partition left to be used by the OS. The SSD may be only 10% partitioned or may only have 10% total of its capacity occupied by data. So, the OS sees 99% used space with 1% free in the partition, that is all it has access to. The onboard SSD controller sees the entire SSD, so it is seeing 10% in use and 90% free. The onboard SSD controller accommodates, for the most part, what the OS is requesting. The OS needs a file? The onboard SSD controller retrieves all the segments of that file from the various cells it is stored in on the SSD and delivers the assembled file to the OS. The OS wants to write a file...the onboard SSD controller splits up the file and stores it in various cells on the SSD. During idle time when the OS is not requesting anything, the onboard SSD controller performs trash collection functions - as long as power is supplied to the SSD.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!

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