Then there’s the issue of longevity. The NAND flash used in SSDs can only be used for a finite number of writes. Why? Because SSDs can’t write a single bit of information without first erasing and then rewriting very large blocks of data at one time. Each time a cell goes through an erase cycle, some charge is left in the floating-gate transistor, which changes its resistance. As the resistance builds, the amount of current required to change the gate increases. Eventually, the gate can’t be flipped at all, rendering it useless. This decaying process doesn’t affect the read capabilities of SSD, because reading only requires checking, not changing, the voltages of cells. As a result, NAND flash can “rot” into a read-only state.