TLC vs QLC SSDs
TLC flash stores three bits per cell and QLC stores four. That makes QLC cheaper per gigabyte, but it writes more slowly once its fast buffer fills and is usually rated for less total writing. For a boot or work drive, TLC is the safer pick; for a games library that is mostly read, QLC is a reasonable saving.
Choose TLC for the drive your system runs from or that takes heavy writes; choose QLC for bulk space you mostly read. Drives whose maker ships either type under one name are left out of both columns.
The difference on paper
These hold for each kind as a whole, independent of any one drive.
The difference in price today
Across 227 TLC SSDs and 67 QLC SSDs with a live offer at the retailers we track, updated daily.
Prices per TB use each drive’s cheapest live offer divided by its capacity.
Why the write buffer matters
Most SSDs, TLC and QLC alike, treat part of their flash as a fast buffer and write there first. Short writes finish at full speed either way. A long write, such as installing a large game or copying a big folder, can outrun the buffer, and that is where QLC drives slow down much more than TLC ones. For everyday use you may never notice; for large copies you will.
Components that change under the same name
Some makers ship a drive with TLC in one batch and QLC in another under the same part number. We mark those drives and score them as the weaker configuration, and this comparison leaves them out of both columns because we cannot say which one you would receive.
The picks on each side
The cheapest per terabyte on each side, and the cheapest that also scores at least 40 out of 100 within its own kind. Recalculated daily from live prices.
TLC SSDs
QLC SSDs
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Common questions
Is QLC bad for gaming?
Not for playing. Games mostly read data, and QLC reads well. It is slower when installing or patching large games, which are long writes, and it is usually rated for less total writing.
How much longer does TLC last?
Compare the TBW ratings of the specific drives. At the same capacity a TLC drive is usually rated for noticeably more writing, but both typically exceed what a desktop writes in its lifetime.
Is QLC cheaper?
Usually, per gigabyte. The table above shows today's typical price per GB for each type from the drives in stock.
Keep going
Browse TLC SSDs or QLC SSDs with every filter, see how storage prices are moving, or start from the storage comparison hub.