Full definition
Four main variants: SLC (1 bit/cell, ~100,000 cycles), MLC (2 bits, ~10,000 cycles), TLC (3 bits, ~3,000 cycles), QLC (4 bits, ~1,000 cycles). More bits per cell means more capacity per dollar but less endurance. Server SSDs (high write) use SLC/MLC, consumer SSDs use TLC/QLC. The SSD controller distributes writes (wear leveling) to maximize lifespan. NAND has real physical wear (oxide insulator oxidation in transistors). Corporate-environment SSDs with high write may reach end-of-life in 3 to 5 years. In recovery, degraded NAND requires per-cell reading via tools like PC-3000 SSD or Flash Extractor.
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