Why do SSD makers change parts without changing the name?

Supply and cost. Controllers and NAND are bought from several suppliers, and makers switch when prices or availability change.

Is it a problem if my SSD has QLC instead of TLC?

For a game or media drive, rarely. For large sustained writes, a QLC version slows down more once its fast cache is full.

How can I check which NAND my SSD has?

The maker's spec page or datasheet is the first place to look. If it only says 3D NAND, a recent teardown review is the next best source.

Why is the NAND field blank on some product pages?

Because neither the maker nor a teardown confirms it. We leave it blank rather than guess.

Same Name, Different Drive: SSDs That Change Parts Quietly

Some SSDs keep their name while the controller or NAND inside changes. Here is how to spot it, which drives in our catalog have more than one version, and what to check before you buy.

The model name on the box does not always tell you what is inside. Several popular SSDs have shipped with different controllers or different NAND under the same name, and sometimes the change is from TLC to cheaper QLC.

This is legal and common. It is also the reason two reviews of the "same" drive can disagree.

Drives in our catalog with more than one version

Where we can confirm the parts, we list each version as its own product so you can see the difference.

Acer FA100: listed with Micron B27B NAND and with Micron B47R NAND. See Acer FA100 (B27B) and Acer FA100 (B47R).
ADATA Legend 800: three versions, including one with Intel QLC NAND. Compare the InnoGrit and YMTC version, the Phison and Micron version and the Silicon Motion and Intel QLC version.
Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s: listed with Micron B27B and B47R NAND. See the B27B version and B47R version.

The ADATA case is the one to watch. A TLC version and a QLC version share the same name and the same rated speeds, but QLC slows down more once its fast cache fills during a long write.

Drives whose NAND varies

Kingston NV1: Kingston has shipped it with either TLC or QLC depending on the batch, so we leave the NAND field blank rather than guess.
Crucial BX500: the NAND has changed across revisions, and Crucial does not publish which one a given unit uses.

How to spot it before you buy

Check the listing for the NAND type. If a drive says TLC on the maker's own page, that is a commitment. If it only says "3D NAND", treat it as unknown.
Look at the capacity. Some drives use different parts at different sizes.
Read recent reviews, not launch reviews. A launch review tested the first batch.
Prefer lines that name their parts. Drives from makers that build their own controller and NAND, such as the Samsung 990 PRO, are less exposed to supplier swaps.

Does it matter for you?

For a secondary game drive, a quiet NAND swap barely matters. For a main drive or a work drive that sees large writes, it is worth paying for a model that states TLC and a DRAM cache or HMB.

Every SSD page on Consumercarts lists the controller and NAND where the maker or a teardown confirms them, and leaves them blank where nobody does. Browse them in the SSD finder.

Seen a drive change parts that we have missed? Tell us at hello@consumercarts.com.

Memory has the same problem in a quieter form. Corsair ships different memory chips under one part number and identifies them only by a ver number printed on the module, never in the listing. We took that apart in what the B, E and Z in a Corsair part number actually change.