{
  "slug": "slc",
  "term": "Single-level cell (SLC)",
  "aliases": [
    "1 bit per cell NAND"
  ],
  "definition": "NAND flash that stores one bit per cell, trading capacity for endurance and typically faster writes than denser cell types.",
  "note": "Single-Level Cell NAND stores one bit per floating-gate or charge-trap cell using two voltage states. Wider sensing margins yield higher endurance and typically lower latency programming than denser MLC/TLC/QLC cells, at the cost of bits per die. True SLC main stores are uncommon in retail client SSDs; they appear in industrial, embedded, and some write-intensive enterprise niches. Many consumer controllers emulate a fast “SLC cache” by programming TLC/QLC cells in one-bit mode for bursts—marketing “SLC” there means a cache mode, not native SLC media throughout. When comparing endurance ratings, distinguish native SLC from TLC/QLC with SLC caching.",
  "status": "limited",
  "advantages": [
    {
      "text": "Higher endurance cycles than MLC/TLC/QLC at the same process node.",
      "citationIds": [
        "c1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    {
      "text": "Lowest bits per area among mainstream NAND cell types.",
      "citationIds": [
        "c1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "mlc",
    "tlc",
    "qlc",
    "nand-flash",
    "enterprise-ssd"
  ],
  "supersedes": [],
  "supersededBy": [
    "mlc"
  ],
  "firstSeen": null,
  "lastSeen": null,
  "citations": [
    {
      "id": "c1",
      "title": "Multi-level cell",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_cell",
      "accessed": "2026-03-26"
    },
    {
      "id": "n2",
      "title": "Samsung — Evaluating MLC vs TLC vs V-NAND (cell-level definitions context)",
      "url": "https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/content/SamsungUS/b2b/resource/2015/11/25/WHP-SSD-MLCvsTLC-OCT15J_1.pdf",
      "accessed": "2026-10-07"
    },
    {
      "id": "n3",
      "title": "Micron — NAND flash",
      "url": "https://www.micron.com/products/storage/nand-flash",
      "accessed": "2026-10-07"
    }
  ]
}