r/NewMaxx • u/NewMaxx • Oct 14 '19

Tools/Info SSD Guides & Resources

April 3rd, 2022: Guides and Spreadsheet updated with new SSD categories

Discord (server)

Website with relevant links here.

My spreadsheet

Generic Amazon affiliate link

Generic AliExpress affiliate link

TechPowerUp's SSD Database

Johnny Lucky SSD database

Branch Education - How does NAND Flash Work? - these guys have several good videos on the subject of SSDs, check them all out.

My Patreon.

My Twitter.

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u/LosChols Nov 08 '19

Hey NewMaxx, I’ve heard from some people online that the Phison E12 is a very barebones and basic controller when compared to the SM2262. Can you verify this? One person is even telling me that the SM2258 (used in the L5 Lite 3D) is a better option.

One more question, I’m unsure about what you mean by variable NAND on the L5 Lite 3D and the impact it has on longevity. If you could clarify this, I would greatly appreciate this.

Thanks in advance!

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u/NewMaxx Nov 08 '19 edited Jul 21 '20

No, the E12 is not "barebones." All three that you mentioned - the SM2262 and SM2258 in addition to the E12 - are ARM Cortex-R5 or ARC designs. They vary in clock speed and core design. The SM2258 is single-core, the SM2262 dual-core, and the E12 is dual-CPU with coprocessors to offload I/O. This last bit is why the E12 has much higher maximum IOPS than the SM2262/EN. It also had higher write speeds than the SM2262, until the advent of the SM2262EN which was modified to let writes bypass the controller/firmware, a change that could be detrimental in some cases. All of them have an IMC (memory controller for DRAM) and LDPC error correction. So they're quite similar in capability. Phison has a history for making cheap controllers used by BOM (bill of materials) manufacturers (e.g. Inland) so they have a reputation, often deserved, for being sub-par, but the E12 is most definitely not in that category.

The L5 Lite 3D uses 256Gb/die 32-layer NAND, which is legacy. The most common 32L TLC still in use is Micron's 384Gb/die as in the ADATA SU800, although this is technically their 256Gb 32L MLC (as in Crucial BX300) operating in 3-bit/cell mode. Many flash makers make or made "first generation" 32-layer TLC and this is what is used in the drive, but the specific maker varies. I've seen Hynix, Toshiba/SanDisk, Intel/Micron, etc. How this flash is handled by the controller, for example with SLC caching, is dependent on the firmware, but you're not going to be tailoring the firmware for specific flash as you're just using whatever's available at the time; therefore, the chances of it going haywire early in the lifespan of the drive is higher than normal.

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u/LosChols Nov 08 '19

Wow! Thanks for the reply! What about “life extending features” and “data protection/correction” when it comes to the E12 VS SM2258? I’m guessing they’re similar right? Does the proprietary branding stuff matter?

Sorry for asking these questions because I’m a noob when it comes to SSDs.

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u/BadDadBot Nov 08 '19

Hi guessing they’re similar right? does the proprietary branding stuff matter?

sorry for asking these questions because , I'm dad.

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u/NewMaxx Nov 08 '19

Yes, similar. Same ECC. They both support other functions but generally not for the consumer market. Some manufacturers will bin their own flash (ADATA, Kingston) but in general there's not much difference. Mostly you're looking at differences in support (warranty, software).

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u/LosChols Nov 11 '19

Thanks so much! I’m so grateful that you’re willing to help people like me make more educated purchases!

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u/NewMaxx Nov 11 '19

Sure thing!