SSD Data Recovery

Intel 660p (SM2263) Data RecoveryIntel SSD 660p (512GB, 1TB, 2TB)

The Intel 660p was the first consumer QLC NVMe SSD. It uses a Silicon Motion SM2263 controller with Intel-custom firmware and Intel 64-layer QLC NAND. Limited endurance (200 TBW for 1TB) and SLC cache exhaustion are common issues. We recover Intel 660p (SM2263)-based SSDs using our PC-3000 system's Intel-specific firmware tools at our Austin lab.

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Written by

Louis Rossmann

Founder & Chief Technician

Updated February 2026

5 min read

No Data, No Fee 2.49M+ Subscribers ★4.9 · 1837+ ReviewsSince 2008Repairs on Video

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Intel 660p (SM2263) Technical Details

Intel 660p (SM2263) Specifications

Manufacturer: Intel
Interface: NVMe Gen3
DRAM Cache: Yes
Channels: 4-channel
NAND Types: QLC

SM2263 with Intel custom firmware. Intel 64-layer QLC NAND.

Recovery Feasibility

PC-3000 Supported

Chip-Off Difficult

SM2263 with Intel custom firmware. Intel 64-layer QLC NAND.

Drives Using the Intel 660p (SM2263)

The following consumer SSDs use the Intel 660p (SM2263). If your drive is on this list, the failure modes and recovery approaches described on this page apply to your situation.

Intel 660p (SM2263) Drive Models

Intel SSD 660p (512GB, 1TB, 2TB)

1 model affected

Failure Modes

Each failure mode has a different root cause and requires a different recovery approach. Identifying the correct failure mode is the first step in any recovery.

QLC endurance exhaustion

Limited QLC endurance (200 TBW for 1TB). SLC cache exhaustion drops write speed to ~100 MB/s. Firmware corruption from exhausted NAND cells.

Symptoms you may notice

Extremely slow writes
Drive health degrading rapidly
SMART warnings about remaining life

Related search terms

Intel 660p slowIntel 660p enduranceQLC SSD failureIntel 660p data recovery

Firmware corruption

SM2263 controller with Intel-custom firmware. Firmware corruption from power loss or NAND degradation.

Symptoms you may notice

NVMe SSD not detected
Drive not seen in BIOS
Partition lost

Related search terms

Intel 660p not detectedIntel 660p firmwareIntel QLC recovery

How We Recover Intel 660p (SM2263) SSDs

Firmware-Level Recovery

We recover Intel 660p (SM2263)-based SSDs using the PC-3000 SSD system with the Intel Active Utility. This provides direct access to the controller's diagnostic interface for firmware repair and FTL (Flash Translation Layer) reconstruction.

Firmware-level access preserves the NAND chip layout and avoids the complications of chip-off recovery. For most Intel 660p (SM2263) failures, this is the primary recovery path.

Chip-Off Recovery

Chip-off is possible but complicated for Intel 660p (SM2263) drives. Hardware encryption or proprietary NAND encoding reduces chip-off success rates compared to firmware-level recovery.

We attempt firmware-level recovery first and only proceed to chip-off when no other option exists.

SM2263 with Intel custom firmware. Intel 64-layer QLC NAND.

Pricing

SSD firmware and logical recovery for the Intel 660p (SM2263) typically costs $300 to $500. Controller-level failures requiring advanced diagnostics are $500 to $1,500. Chip-off recovery, when viable, is $1,500 to $2,500.

See our full pricing breakdown for details. Our No Data, No Fee guarantee means you pay nothing if we cannot recover your files.

Hard Drive Data Recovery Standards & Verification

Our Austin lab operates on a transparency-first model. We use industry-standard recovery tools, including PC-3000 and DeepSpar, combined with strict environmental controls to make sure your hard drive is handled safely and properly. This approach allows us to serve clients nationwide with consistent technical standards.

Validated Clean Zone

Open-drive work is performed in a laminar-flow bench filtered to 0.02 µm, verified using TSI P-Trak instrumentation.

Transparent History

Serving clients nationwide via mail-in service since 2008.

Media Coverage

Our repair work has been covered by The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, with CBC News reporting on our pricing transparency. Louis Rossmann has testified in Right to Repair hearings in multiple states and founded the Repair Preservation Group.

Aligned Incentives

Our "No Data, No Charge" policy means we assume the risk of the recovery attempt, not the client.

Technical Oversight

Louis Rossmann

Louis Rossmann's well trained staff review our lab protocols to ensure technical accuracy and honest service. Since 2008, his focus has been on clear technical communication and accurate diagnostics rather than sales-driven explanations.

We believe in proving standards rather than just stating them. We use TSI P-Trak instrumentation to verify that clean-air benchmarks are met before any drive is opened.

See our clean bench validation data and particle test video

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Intel 660p drives fail more often than TLC-based SSDs?

The 660p uses QLC (quad-level cell) NAND, which stores 4 bits per cell compared to 3 bits for TLC. This gives it more capacity per chip but significantly less endurance. The 1TB model is rated for only 200 TBW (terabytes written), roughly half of a comparable TLC drive. As the QLC cells wear out, the error rate climbs until the controller can no longer correct the errors, causing firmware corruption or complete failure.

What happens when the SLC cache runs out on an Intel 660p?

The 660p writes incoming data to QLC cells in faster SLC mode (1 bit per cell), creating a speed cache. When this cache fills during sustained writes, write speed drops from around 1,800 MB/s to roughly 100 MB/s as data writes directly to QLC. If the drive is nearly full, the SLC cache shrinks dramatically. A power loss during the cache flush to QLC is a high-risk event for firmware corruption.

Does the Intel 660p use a standard SM2263 controller?

The 660p uses Silicon Motion's SM2263 controller but with Intel-custom firmware. This is different from off-the-shelf SM2263 drives like the HP EX900, which use Silicon Motion's reference firmware. PC-3000 supports the 660p through its Silicon Motion utility, but the Intel-specific firmware modifications mean some parameters need manual adjustment during the recovery process.

My Intel 660p SMART says remaining life is very low. Can I still recover data?

Low remaining life in SMART means the QLC NAND cells are significantly worn. If the drive is still functional, copy your data off immediately. Do not defragment, do not run disk cleanup, and do not write anything new to the drive. Each additional write brings it closer to the point where error correction fails. If the drive has already stopped working, we can often still extract data from worn QLC by using PC-3000 to read the NAND at lower speeds with maximum error correction.

How much does Intel 660p data recovery cost?

Recovery for the Intel 660p costs $300-$1,200. Firmware corruption cases where the SM2263 controller responds to PC-3000 diagnostics are $300-$600. Drives with severely worn QLC NAND requiring extended low-speed imaging are $600-$1,200. If we cannot recover your data, there is no charge.

Not an SSD issue? We also recover hard drives, RAID arrays, and iPhones.

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