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The bad blocks are isolated from each each other so the chips are perfectly good. The NAND manufacturers bin the chips by number of defects so you can buy ones with more defects and if your firmware allows, run it at lower reported capacity. For example a 8GB chip with 1 GB of defects could be used for a 4GB flash drive with 3 GB of spare blocks. Actually this is how many of the binned parts are utilized.


Shenzhen is awash with this stuff...you can buy a 16GB keychain for $1 ... however you lucky if it works


I know enough folks working at semiconductor vendors to say with certainty that their freebie Flash drives (and whatever data you stick in them) are not long for this world. Most of the chips are infant mortalities that will live just long enough to make you think good things about getting free stuff.




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