Abstract: An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a mass storage device having a plurality of storage cells capable of storing more than one bit per cell. The plurality of storage cells are partitionable into a static single level (SLC) buffer, a dynamic SLC buffer and a primary multi-bit storage region. The mass storage device includes charge pump circuitry to program and erase the storage cells such that: a) those of the cells associated with the SLC buffer are to maintain larger stored charge potentials than those of the cells associated with the dynamic SLC buffer; and, b) those of the cells associated with the dynamic SLC buffer, when in SLC mode, are to receive fewer charge pump cycles during a program and/or erase sequence than those of the cells associated with the primary multi-bit storage region.