Tuesday, April 30th 2024

Enthusiast Transforms QLC SSD Into SLC With Drastic Endurance and Performance Increase

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (93 Comments)
A few months ago, we covered proof of overclocking an off-the-shelf 2.5-inch SATA III NAND Flash SSD thanks to Gabriel Ferraz, Computer Engineer and TechPowerUp's SSD database maintainer. Now, he is back with another equally interesting project of modifying a Quad-Level Cell (QLC) SATA III SSD into a Single-Level Cell (SLC) SATA III SSD. Using the Crucial BX500 512 GB SSD, he aimed at transforming the QLC drive into a more endurant and higher-performance SLC. Silicon Motion SM2259XT2 powers the drive of choice with a single-core ARC 32-bit CPU clocked at 550 MHz and two channels running at 800 MT/s (400 MHz) without a DRAM cache. This particular SSD uses four NAND Flash dies from Micron with NY240 part numbers. Two dies are controlled per channel. These NAND Flash dies were designed to operate at 1,600 MT/s (800 MHz) but are limited to only 525 MT/s in this drive in the real world.

The average endurance of these dies is 1,500 P/E cycles in NANDs FortisFlash and about 900 P/E cycles in Mediagrade. Transforming the same drive in the pSLC is bumping those numbers to 100,000 and 60,000, respectively. However, getting that to work is the tricky part. To achieve this, you have to download MPtools for the Silicon Motion SM2259XT2 controller from the USBdev.ru website and find the correct die used in the SSD. Then, the software is modified carefully, and a case-sensitive configuration file is modified to allow for SLC mode, which forces the die to run as a SLC NAND Flash die. Finally, firmware folder must be reached and files need to be moved arround in a way seen in the video.
As the drive powers on, capacity decreases from 512 GB to 114-120 GB. However, the SSD endurance jumps to 4000 TBW (write cycles), which is about a 3000% increase. Additionally, performance increased as well, which you can check out below, and in the original video for more details.
Check out the video for more details.

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93 Comments on Enthusiast Transforms QLC SSD Into SLC With Drastic Endurance and Performance Increase

#76
Shrek
Which would last even longer than pseudo SLC.
Posted on Reply
#77
lexluthermiester
john_If I am understanding these numbers correctly, one more reason I am not touching a QLC drive.
As you shouldn't, IF you're buying a boot/OS drive. QLC is actually fairly ok for storage that doesn't require lots of repeated write performance.
AleksandarKNow, he is back with another equally interesting project of modifying a Quad-Level Cell (QLC) SATA III SSD into a Single-Level Cell (SLC) SATA III SSD.
This is excellent. Kinda shows what I've been saying for a few years. What would REALLY be excellent is if makers would build options into their firmware which would allow use users to dynamically select what mode to operate in, or ever dynamically select modes for specific address regions. Firmware's shouldn't be difficult to make.
Posted on Reply
#78
londiste
ShrekWhich would last even longer than pseudo SLC.
It really does not matter whether that is SLC or pseudo-SLC. Endurance is related to physical properties of the cell that remain the same when the cell is practically used as SLC.
Posted on Reply
#79
Shrek
lexluthermiesterAs you shouldn't, IF you're buying a boot/OS drive. QLC is actually fairly ok for storage that doesn't require lots of repeated write performance.
That is why I have an Optane P1600X on the way for my boot drive, so I don't need to worry about endurance or things slowing down; seems latency is amazing.
Posted on Reply
#80
GabrielLP14
SSD DB Maintainer
lexluthermiesterAs you shouldn't, IF you're buying a boot/OS drive. QLC is actually fairly ok for storage that doesn't require lots of repeated write performance.


This is excellent. Kinda shows what I've been saying for a few years. What would REALLY be excellent is if makers would build options into their firmware which would allow use users to dynamically select what mode to operate in, or ever dynamically select modes for specific address regions. Firmware's shouldn't be difficult to make.
thanks in advance, unfortunately we'll never see manufacturers do that, but we do have SSDs that are pSLC by default, but are expensive AF.
Posted on Reply
#81
Shrek
pSLC by default or SLC? I though SLC had even longer life than pSLC.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great project and I watch with great interest.
Posted on Reply
#82
Wirko
Half-related and half off topic: if an SSD is supposed/expected/declared to switch to read-only mode when its firmware determines it's no longer safe for writing, what exactly does that mean? Are there any industry standards related to that? Specifically, is the SSD supposed to be dead after power cycling, or remain in read-only mode?
Posted on Reply
#83
GabrielLP14
SSD DB Maintainer
ShrekpSLC by default or SLC? I though SLC had even longer life than pSLC.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great project and I watch with great interest.
pSLC.
For example IIRC the AI TOP 100E from Gigabyte is in fact using Kioxia BiCS5 HDR 1Tb but runningthem in 341Gb mode (pSLC)
Posted on Reply
#84
chrcoluk
GabrielLP14pSLC.
For example IIRC the AI TOP 100E from Gigabyte is in fact using Kioxia BiCS5 HDR 1Tb but runningthem in 341Gb mode (pSLC)
Interesting on how that drive is achieving what it does, but its spec'd as 1TB, so is it 341GB or 1000GB with circa 3000GB nand?
Posted on Reply
#85
lexluthermiester
ShrekThat is why I have an Optane P1600X on the way for my boot drive, so I don't need to worry about endurance or things slowing down; seems latency is amazing.
Very cool. That drive should last you a long while.
GabrielLP14unfortunately we'll never see manufacturers do that
Why not? If it would help them sell QLC based NAND, why wouldn't they?
Posted on Reply
#86
GabrielLP14
SSD DB Maintainer
chrcolukInteresting on how that drive is achieving what it does, but its spec'd as 1TB, so is it 341GB or 1000GB with circa 3000GB nand?
its 4096GB running in pSLC mode getting about 1280GB of space with 1024GB of space and a lot of Over-provisioning
lexluthermiesterVery cool. That drive should last you a long while.


Why not? If it would help them sell QLC based NAND, why wouldn't they?
another point of failure perhaps and it would have to be developed a way to made these modifications, some simpler firmware updater tools might not do the job.
Posted on Reply
#87
chrcoluk
GabrielLP14its 4096GB running in pSLC mode getting about 1280GB of space with 1024GB of space and a lot of Over-provisioning


another point of failure perhaps and it would have to be developed a way to made these modifications, some simpler firmware updater tools might not do the job.
Thank you, so we know whats going on then, There is a 2TB model as well, so thats interesting also when you consider we have been told 8TB on a M.2 isnt possible.
Posted on Reply
#88
Wirko
chrcolukwe have been told 8TB on a M.2 isnt possible
How so? There are multiple models available from Corsair, Adata, PNY, Teamgroup and Sabrent, and most are TLC. I guess many people simply ignore their existence because the prices are out of proportion with everything else, and in line with enterprise SSDs.
Posted on Reply
#89
chrcoluk
WirkoHow so? There are multiple models available from Corsair, Adata, PNY, Teamgroup and Sabrent, and most are TLC. I guess many people simply ignore their existence because the prices are out of proportion with everything else, and in line with enterprise SSDs.
Dont know about ignoring, me personally I wasnt aware of their existence. Typically models talked about on here, reveiewed by TPU are stated as 2TB or 4TB max SKU size. Thanks for informing me anyway.

Of course I am talking about consumer products though, so if they are priced at enterprise level, it sounds like they might be enterprise SKU's?
Posted on Reply
#90
lexluthermiester
GabrielLP14another point of failure perhaps and it would have to be developed a way to made these modifications, some simpler firmware updater tools might not do the job.
As the firmware of all NAND controllers determine when and how write cycles are handled, it would be nearly trivial to add in an option to lock out the second, third or fourth cell write cycle, effectively making a NAND cell(or block of cells) SLC, MLC, TLC or QLC, at the choice of the user.
Posted on Reply
#91
Wirko
chrcolukDont know about ignoring, me personally I wasnt aware of their existence. Typically models talked about on here, reveiewed by TPU are stated as 2TB or 4TB max SKU size. Thanks for informing me anyway.

Of course I am talking about consumer products though, so if they are priced at enterprise level, it sounds like they might be enterprise SKU's?
Hereare a few that are available in the UK (if you follow the link for the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus, you can even find some reviews). And here a couple more for Germany. All consumer stuff. Enterprise M.2 actually ends at 3.84 TB - because many capacitors occupy the PCB space where flash chips "should" be (Micron 7450, Samsung PM9A3).
Posted on Reply
#92
_Fr4_
GabrielLP14Since my videos are mostly in Portuguese since i'm from Brazil, the english videos i usually leave a Flag just so people understand that it's in English ahahah


Indeed, this was a project to demonstrate only that it is possible as well.
I have other cool upcoming projects, such as disabling a DRAM Cache to show the real world impact in performance.
And one about over-provisioning showing how much it can affect performance.
What about the power consumption? I would like to do it for my homelab...usually enterprise hardware have lots of "problems" with idle states. Is it repeatable with another BX500?
Posted on Reply
#93
GabrielLP14
SSD DB Maintainer
_Fr4_What about the power consumption? I would like to do it for my homelab...usually enterprise hardware have lots of "problems" with idle states. Is it repeatable with another BX500?
i did show it on the review
Posted on Reply
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