The durability or lifespan of a Solid State Hard Drive, also known as SSD is affected by many things. These reasons all have their own effect on the lifespan of a Solid State hard drive. Some of these reasons are the type of NAND flash memory the drive has and the write or erase cycles. The way the drive is used is also one of them and the physical environment condition. Most recent Solid State Hard Drives last for about 5 to 10 years. There are also models made with better durability. They are called enterprise models and they last longer. There is no definite time a Solid State Hard Drive can last, but only a range. This range also depends on other factors. You can check the type of SSD on pages like this.

Factors Influencing SSD Longevity

Just like we discussed in the introduction. There are many things that can contribute to the longevity of a Solid State Hard Drive. This section would list and explain the most common factors that can affect a Solid State Hard Drive longevity. These factors are

1. The type of NAND Flash Memory used
2. The Write and Erase Cycles
3. The way it is used
4. Environmental Conditions e.g temperature

The type of NAND Flash Memory used

All Solid State Hard Drives are made with a NAND flash memory. This NAND flash memory comes in different types. There are three common types of NAND flash memory. They are: 

1. Single Level Cell or the SLC
2. Multi Level Cell or the MLC
3. Triple Level Cell or the TLC
4. QLC

The Single Level Cell stores data as one bit in each cell. This type of NAND flash memory has the highest durability and also lasts the longest. It has a huge disadvantage in terms of cost. It is expensive.

The Multi Level Cell stores data as two bits on each cell. This type of NAND flash memory provides a balance between the cost and durability. It has a moderate durability and an average cost too.

The last type of NAND flash memory, the Triple Level Cell is a type of NAND flash memory that stores three bits per cell. It is a cheaper option and is affordable. But this has a shorter durability than the Single Level Cell or SLC and the Multi Level Cell or MLC.

Now, the structure of these cells also has an effect on the Solid State Drive. An increase in the storage density also leads to a decrease in endurance. i.e It reduces durability due to more regular write or erase cycles per cell.

The Write and Erase Cycles

Another factor that affects the longevity of Solid State hard drives is the write or erase cycle. In Solid State drives, data is handled by writing and erasing the cells multiple times. Therefore, the write endurance of a solid state hard drive is important. The better or higher the write endurance of a solid state hard drive is, the longer it will last.

For the program and erase cycles, each type of solid state drive with their NAND flash memory has different speeds. The speed for a program and erase cycle in each of the types of NAND flash memory can be identified this way. The Single Level Cell or the SLC has a program/erase cycle of ~100,000 cycles. The Multi Level Cell or the MLC has a program/erase cycle of ~10,000 cycles. The Triple Level Cell or the TLC has a program/erase cycle of ~3,000 cycles. And lastly, the QLC has a program/erase cycle of ~1,000 cycles.

The way it is used

People always use their device differently, with some people running more intense programs than others. This is also a factor that affects how long a solid state hard drive can last.

A heavy workload on the solid state hard drive will lead to repeated and continuous writing of data. This act reduces the endurance of the solid state hard drive faster. In turn the durability reduces and it lasts less longer. In a situation of less or light workload, the endurance and durability of the solid state hard drive can be sustained. This preserves longevity and makes it last longer. This shows that too much usage reduces how long a solid state drive lasts while occasional usage helps.

Another way of usage that can affect how long a solid state drive will last is a daily regular usage and a short term usage but with heavy tasks. Using a drive regularly and at intervals but with short or moderate writes damages the solid state drive less. But using it at short intervals with heavy writes or writes with a very high volume is more damaging.

Environmental Conditions e.g temperature

The last factor we will be discussing is environmental conditions. The physical condition of where a solid state hard drive is used can affect how long it lasts. An example is temperature. In an area or environment with high temperature, the solid state hard drive would wear faster. The advisable temperature for use of a solid state hard drive is between 0°C–40°C for storage, and around 25°C for operating or use.

How to Measure the Lifespan of a Solid State Hard Drive.

There are many ways the lifespan of a solid state hard drive. These methods all come together to give an estimated lifespan.

TBW (Terabytes Written): First measurement technique for solid state hard drive lifespan.

Terabytes written can be described as the rating of how much data can be written over a solid state hard drive’s lifespan by the manufacturers. When a solid state hard drive is made, there is an estimated size of data that can be written on it. This is done by the manufacturers of the solid state drive. Examples of these ratings are: Consumer SSDs: ~150–600 TBW and Enterprise SSDs: 1,000+ TBW.

DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day): Second measurement technique for solid state hard drive lifespan.

Drive writes per day refers to the number of drive writes possible in a day, over the warranty period of the solid state hard drive. This is a measurement technique used mainly in enterprise solid state hard drives. It is used alongside terabytes written to check the endurance of the solid state drive.

SMART Monitoring Tools: Third measurement technique for solid state hard drive lifespan.

There are also smart monitoring tools. These can be in the form of hardware and also software. They allow users to monitor the health of a solid state hard drive in real time. Their functions are mainly wear leveling count, reallocated sectors and remaining lifespan percentage.

Common Misconceptions and Beliefs About the Lifespan of a Solid State Hard Drive Lifespan

Since the creation of solid state hard drives (SSDs), there have been certain beliefs that are wrong about them. Examples are "SSDs Wear Out Quickly", "SSDs Last Only a Few Years" and "SSDs Are Prone to Sudden Failure".

These beliefs are wrong. New solid state hard drives make use of advanced error correction techniques. They also have features against wear leveling and over provisioning. These features help to extend the lifespan of a solid state hard drive.

Solid state hard drives on the consumer level are made to last around 5 to 10 years. Especially when used moderately, these solid state hard drives have a long lifespan. Some models can even last longer than this in the right conditions.

It is possible that some solid state hard drives are prone to fail. This doesn’t happen suddenly. There are always signs and they decline little by little as a result of writing endurance. Solid state drives are also created with built in redundancies. These redundancies built into the solid state drives reduce the risk of failure.

How can the Lifespan of a Solid State Hard Drive be Increased?

Now that we understand the lifespan of a solid state hard drive, users also need to know how to use their solid state drives in the best way. A solid state hard drive can last longer when used properly. Certain tips can help extend their lifespan and general functionality. These tips help maximize results and lifespan. They are:

1. Avoid Excessive Writes
2. Proper Cooling
3. Firmware Updates
4. Backup Solutions

Avoid Excessive Writes

This can be done by sticking to moderate or small sized workloads. Users can limit large unnecessary transfers of files. You can also disable or reduce the features of the operating system. Hibernation and page files can be limited or restricted. This reduces the stress on the solid state hard drive. Doing this in turn helps prolong the lifespan of the solid state hard drive.

Proper Cooling

To help against too much heat which can damage a solid state hard drive. You can implement proper cooling. Maintain a good level of airflow and keep the solid state hard drive in a good temperature range. An advisable range is between 0°C–70°C.

Firmware Updates

Another tip that can help improve the lifespan of a solid state hard drive is updating its firmware. This helps to fix bugs and enhance the features of the solid state drive. Doing this prevents a slow decline in health. This decline can be caused by the bugs or lack of enhancement features.

Backup Solutions

Lastly, you should always have a solution for backup. It can be the use of external hard drives or cloud storages. Taking the load of the solid state hard drive would help sustain it for long. Storing critical data on another drive would also prevent the risk of data loss.

Conclusion

The expected lifespan of a solid state hard drive or SSD is 5 to 10 years. Longer for some models too. The factors affecting the lifespan like the NAND type, Program or Erase cycles, and environmental conditions, especially temperature.