5 ms·
> another problem it's created is that flash has a limited number of write cycles SPI flash typically have somewhere between 10k to 100k write cycles. Without
by Crosseye_Jack 2y ago
> another problem it's created is that flash has a limited number of write cycles
SPI flash typically have somewhere between 10k to 100k write cycles. Without wear leveling, lets say a write is made on every boot, and lets say a machine is booted 3 times a day you are still going to have a 9+ year life on a flash chip with only 10k writes.
EDIT: Did a search for a random "replacement SPI flash MSI" and found an MX25L25673G being used. Using that as an example it has 100k write cycles, using 3 writes a day, that's like 91 years. Basically flash memory is at the point where its "good enough" not to worry about.
- Cthulhu_ 2y agoWhile I agree this is good enough for 99% of purposes, it is a good thing to keep in the back of your head if you're doing e.g. archival or restoration work. I want to believe that in a hundred years, a PC museum employee finds this post and knows what they need to do to get their ancient 2025 era PC back up and running.
- Crosseye_Jack 2y agoWell if long term archival is your concern, its not the write cycles you want to worry about (I was using an extreme example for a bios flash ic) but bit rot in general, which is a concern for pretty much every type of digital media. Spinning rust can seize, Optical and tape media can physically decay, flash media cells can gradually lose their electrical chare over time if they are not “exercised”. Edit: however its not unheard of for SPI flash to have specs of 500k write cycles and a 100 year data retention (below 500k write cycles) these days, so if a 2025 machine was using such a chip you just got to make sure the caps don't leak and erode the PCB, or the thin layer of epoxy bonding the multiple layers of the PCB breaking down causing it to delaminate.