NAND Flash Grades and Sourcing — What You Are Actually Buying
Two separate questions sit behind any flash quotation: where the die came from, and what grade it was sorted into. The source is the manufacturer — SanDisk, Toshiba, Micron, SK Hynix, Intel, Samsung. The grade is how the die was sorted and tested after manufacture. Both affect field behaviour, and neither is visible on a finished card. We buy and sort flash from named sources and state the grade on your quotation. We are not an authorised agent or distributor for any NAND brand, and we do not imply a partnership we do not have.
What a grade actually is
NAND die is tested after manufacture and sorted. Die that meets full specification goes into branded products; die that falls short in specific ways — capacity yield, retention, bad-block count — is sorted into lower grades and sold into other channels. Where a die sits in that sorting is what "grade" describes. There is no single industry-wide definition, which is exactly why the grade should be stated on your order rather than implied by a label.
Why it matters commercially
| Grade question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which source? | Different manufacturers have different sorting practices and package roadmaps |
| Which grade? | Grade drives retention and field failure rate more than it drives benchmark speed |
| Is it stated on my order? | A brochure grade is not a batch grade |
| What if that source is unavailable? | The answer tells you whether substitutions get disclosed |
What we are, and what we are not
- We are: a flash memory manufacturer that buys, sorts, tests and assembles flash die into finished products
- We are not: an authorised agent, distributor or partner of any NAND brand
- We state: the source and grade on your quotation, against your specific project
- We do not: imply a brand endorsement or warranty that belongs to the NAND manufacturer
What to put in your specification
A defensible flash specification lists four things, not one. State the source you want, the grade you will accept, the test method that proves the batch, and whether a source change gets disclosed. The first three make the order verifiable; the fourth protects you when a die becomes unavailable mid-production.
| Field | What to require |
|---|---|
| Source | Named manufacturer where possible; confirm achievable per capacity |
| Grade | Stated on the order, not implied by a label |
| Verification | Capacity write-and-read-back on a batch sample |
| Change control | Substitutions disclosed and re-approved before shipment |
Red flags in a quotation
Be wary of a quotation that states only a brochure grade with no source, implies a brand partnership it cannot evidence, or refuses to put the grade on the order. None of those proves a bad part — but each is a reason to verify the batch yourself before committing volume. The practical check is the same on any supplier: a full capacity write-and-read-back on a sample from the shipment, which we document per batch. A grade you cannot test is a grade you are taking on trust.
Not sure which applies to your product?
Send your workload — what writes, how often, at what temperature — and we will propose a configuration with the reasoning. We reply to business enquiries within 1 business day.
Request a quoteFrequently asked questions
Are you an authorised distributor for SanDisk, Samsung or Micron?
No. We are a flash memory manufacturer that sources die from these and other manufacturers, sorts and tests it, and builds it into products. We do not represent any NAND brand, and we say so because implying otherwise is common in this market and misleading.
What does "A+ grade" mean?
It is a sorting grade, not a single industry standard. What matters is that it is stated on your quotation and that the finished batch can be verified against it — capacity write-and-read-back on a sample is the practical check.
Can I specify the source?
Tell us your preference at enquiry stage. Availability varies by capacity and package, so we will confirm what is achievable rather than promising a fixed source across all orders.
How do I check what I received?
Run a full capacity write-and-read-back on a sample from the batch. The method is on our testing page and works on any card from any supplier.