Many people think that mechanical hard disks are safer than solid-state hard disks when storing data for a long time, because mechanical hard disks store data through magnetic disks, and the storage time can reach ten years or even longer when the power is off. SSDs use floating-gate transistors and internal electronics to store data. Assuming that the SSD is powered off for a long time, due to the attenuation of electrons in the floating gate, the internal data will have a high probability of failure.

As a storage medium, solid-state disk NAND Flash can prevent data loss when the SSD is powered off for a long time, so even if the SSD is powered off for a long time, generally there will be no data loss.

Is our data safe in SSD?

With the continuous reduction of the cost of flash memory, the application of SSD is more and more extensive, and the speed is very different from that of mechanical hard disk. But is our data stored in it really safe? Can it replace a mechanical hard drive?

SSD Life Calculation Formula

We know that the life of NAND flash memory cells depends on the erasing/writing (P/E) times. Currently, most solid-state drives are composed of thin layers of particles. TLC generally has about 1000 erasing/writing times, but it will be scrapped before we write data to this SSD 1000 times. Its lifespan is related to many factors such as the main control, capacity, and OP space. According to many measured results, the actual write capacity of the SSD is much greater than the nominal write capacity, so you can rest assured.

So what is the phenomenon of data loss?

NAND stores data by trapping electrons in the gate. When the temperature is higher, the electrons will be more active, resulting in the phenomenon of electron loss, which will also lead to data loss.

The Solid State Technology Association (JEDEC) has made relevant regulations on this. Consumer-grade SSDs can save data for one year without electricity at 30°C. However, if the storage temperature is too high when the power is lost, the risk of data loss will be greatly increased.