Best 100GB MLC SSDs
There are 4 100GB MLC SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Kingston SSDNOW E50 at 550 MB/s read at 100GB, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Kingston SSDNOW E100 (3906 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 400–550 MB/s at 100GB.
Why this configuration
A 100GB MLC SSD is a legacy endurance choice. MLC stores two bits per cell instead of three, so these older drives take far more rewriting than a modern budget drive, at a much higher cost per gigabyte.
Usually chosen for: write-heavy secondary roles and keeping older machines useful.
Good fit: mainstream desktop and laptop builds.
Ranked list
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 100GB ratings where published (4 of 4 drives), not the family headline figure. 1 of the 4 are rated slower at 100GB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 100GB run 265–530 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 100GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  OCZ INTREPID 3600 100GB, 200GB, 400GB, 800GB | High-end | INDILINX IDX400M00-BC | 400 | 1498 | Find on Amazon |
| 2 |  Kingston SSDNOW E50 250GB, 500GB, 100GB | — | SandForce-SF2581 | 550 | 1747 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Mushkin CATALYST CACHE 50GB, 100GB | — | SandForce 2281 | 550 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  Kingston SSDNOW E100 100GB, 200GB, 400GB | — | SandForce – SF2582 | 535 | 3906 | Find on Amazon |
The parts, explained
MLC NAND is older and costs more per gigabyte, but is very durable.