QLC SSDs Modified To Function As SLC SSD, Write Endurance Massively Improves
QLC SSDs Modified To Function As SLC SSD, Write Endurance Massively Improves
Some of the common concerns surrounding QLC (quad-level cell) SSDs revolve around speed and endurance – while QLC SSDs improve data density and bring the costs down, it comes at a tradeoff in the form of slower speeds and shortened lifespan.
Computer engineer Gabriel Ferraz, also a database maintainer of TechPowerUp, has revealed another interesting SSD re-engineering project that converts a slow, fragile QLC SSD into a faster and significantly more durable SLC SSD by using some software trickery and a specialized adapter. The SSD in question is the Crucial BX500 512GB SSD, which in itself is a relatively pedestrian SATA III SSD that maxes out at 500MB/s write, paired with a measly 120TBW (terabytes written) worth of write endurance.
The modding process involves directly modifying the firmware of the SSD controller (in this case, a Silicon Motion SM2259XT2) to force the SSD to run in what’s called a pSLC (pseudo-SLC) mode. pSLC is a common technique in TLC/QLC SSDs to momentarily boost write speeds by mapping a section of the NAND flash as SLC blocks, which is useful in improving the overall write performance of the drive.
Of course, the process of modifying the SSD into SLC mode means you lose a significant amount of storage space – in this case, only one-fourth of the original 500GB capacity remained. In exchange, the drive sees a relatively modest improvement in QD4 random write; however, the endurance has gained massively to 4,000TBW, which represents a 33.3-fold increase.
As you can see in the video, getting this to work is extremely difficult and is not guaranteed to work on all SSDs. For the most part, this is just a demonstration that such methods exist – so don’t expect your SSD to be capable of converted into a super-fast SLC SSD anytime soon.
Pokdepinion: I guess SSD modding is really a thing now.
