Cost-effectiveness of cMLC SSDs for Home Media Storage
Short answer
A CMLC SSDs are not cheap enough to be ideal for home media storage compared to HDDs.
Question
Key Takeaways
The main trap is assuming 'multi-level cell' implies 'cheap' without comparing it to the dominant alternative (HDD) for bulk storage.
This question tests whether cMLC SSDs are cost-effective for home media storage. The correct answer is False because HDDs offer better value for large, static file collections.
Common mistake: Choosing True because students associate SSDs with lower costs than SLC/MLC, forgetting that HDDs are cheaper per TB for non-performance-critical data.
Expert Analysis
The statement contains two distinct factual errors regarding cMLC (commonly known as TLC or QLC in modern contexts, but specifically referring to Multi-Level Cell technology) and the economic reality of SSDs.
First, the claim that cMLC drives are "cheap" is misleading. While Multi-Level Cell NAND is less expensive per gigabyte than SLC (Single-Level Cell) or MLC (Multi-Level Cell), it is still significantly more expensive than traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). For storing large volumes of static media like MP3s and JPGs, HDDs are the cost-effective standard. SSDs, even those using multi-level cells, are premium storage solutions chosen for performance, not lowest-cost capacity.
Second, while MP3 and JPG files are indeed read-heavy (which suits SSDs), the premise that cMLC is ideal because it is cheap is false. The primary trap here is conflating "cheaper than SLC" with "cheap overall." In a home storage scenario dominated by media libraries, the price-per-terabyte of an HDD vastly outperforms any SSD variant.
A commenter correctly noted that "cmlc is not cheap" in the context of mass storage compared to magnetic disks. Furthermore, the comment about files being read-only highlights that while the workload fits SSD characteristics, the cost justification does not. Getting this wrong leads to unnecessary spending on high-performance hardware for low-performance use cases.
Therefore, the assertion is false because the cost advantage cited does not exist relative to the appropriate technology for the job (HDDs).
Exam Strategy
When evaluating storage suitability, always compare the specific drive type against the most common alternative for the use case. If the use case is capacity-heavy and performance-light (like media libraries), HDDs almost always win on cost. Do not let technical acronyms distract from basic economics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are cMLC SSDs not considered cheap?
What is the best storage for MP3 and JPG files at home?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 1 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 1
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10c5cfe 👍 1 Answered Bmp3 and jpeg files are read-only and does not need performance and cmlc is not cheap
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