SSDs with bad cells?

[NeoGen]

I have very little experience with SSDs yet, but I purchased one for upgrading a family members laptop and to my surprise when I got it up and running and do a quick check it shows 1 reallocated sectors. I had never seen one.

I know this is a very bad thing on normal mechanical drives, because when 1 pops up it's just a matter of time until dozens more follow. But this SSD has passed all tests with flying colors, including a full surface initialization. So it's just that 1 off sector that came like that from the assembly line.

Does anyone with experience know what is the likely outcome for bad sectors on SSDs? Is it a normal thing or should I try to get it replaced? I don't think I can because the drive works flawlessly and fast.

[Dirk Broer]

It is not a bug, it's a feature! And count your blessings: it is only one!

From a quick google search: " it's quite common for SSDs to 'develop' reallocated sectors in teh first few hours or days of use. These are almost certainly manufacturing flaws in the flash, that weren't noticed by the manufacturer during testing. But the more thorough usage once the drive is installed in a PC makes them show up and the drive will then reallocate the sectors. As this is almost certainly a manufacturing flaw in that one specific column, once all the sectors in that column get reallocated out, there shouldn't be any more trouble. The problem is that SMART software doesn't correctly interpret the importance (or not) of reallocated sectors. A 'round number' of reallocated sectors on a nearly new SSD isn't worrying for impending failure (it's an expected manufacturing flaw, which the manufacturer didn't spot and work around at the factory - instead the drive spotted the flaw while it was in your PC and has worked around it at home)"

[NeoGen]

Thanks Dirk

I guess I don't need to worry too much then but honestly I had not seen one yet in the few drives I have.
My instincts always tell me that on mechanical drives if reallocated sectors start popping up it's time to throw it away. I just didn't know if the same failure rate principal applied to SSDs.