Glossary comparison
Data retention vs Endurance: what is the difference?
The difference
Endurance is how many program and erase cycles a non-volatile cell survives; retention is how long it keeps data once written. Heavy cycling usually shortens retention, so the two are tested together.
Retention is how long data stays readable without power. Worn cells retain data for less time, so the two are linked, but they are rated separately.
The two terms
Data retention
How long a memory cell keeps the data written to it before the stored charge or state can no longer be read correctly. In DRAM it is short and sets how often cells must be refreshed; in non-volatile memory it is measured in years and is a core part of qualification.
Endurance
How much data a storage device can absorb before its flash wears out, expressed as drive writes per day or total bytes written over the warranty term. It depends on cell type, over-provisioning and write amplification.
Side by side
| Field | Data retention | Endurance |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Not an abbreviation | Not an abbreviation |
| Type | Metric | Metric |
| Domain | Memory & Storage | Memory & Storage |
| Group | Memory reliability | Storage systems |