Solid State Drives have brought a revolution in the technology of data storage with their exceptional performance and blazing-fast read/write compared to the mechanical hard disk drive.
A common issue most users notice after buying an SSD is that its speed does not match the promised one, and in some cases, even if it matches, it plummets during extended use. This problem can occur due to several factors, such as background software activity, improper installation, or hardware limitations. Every day use includes many variables that slow the SSD down.
In this article, we will look at 7 reasons your SSD isn’t showing the full speed.
1. Interface Limitations
One of the most common reasons the SSD isn’t showing full speed is the interface speed capping. The interface is the type of connection between the SSD and the motherboard. Many users believe that any SSD can provide a speed of 3000 MB/s, having unknowingly installed a SATA SSD expecting the performance of an NVMe SSD. SATA SSD with SATA III interface speed is capped at 550 MB/s, while the connection via the PCIe interface, known to be provided in NVMe storage, can exceed 3000 MB/s and even more with Gen 4 or Gen 5 PCIe.
Further, a wrong port selection can prevent the SSD from functioning well. For instance, the M.2 slot supports only the SATA protocol. If by mistake an NVMe SSD is plugged into a SATA-only M.2 slot, it can force it to make operations at SATA speed. So, it’s always advisable to check the motherboard to ensure if it has an M.2 slot that supports NVMe.
2. Outdated or Missing Drivers
Another factor that can influence the SSD speed to fall down is the absence of important drivers or the presence of outdated drivers instead. Chipset drivers, NVMe drivers, and USB drivers are the most important elements here. A driver is a piece of code that defines the hardware and software compatibility. If it’s weak or outdated, it can severely affect the performance.
Moreover, the Windows-provided driver can impact if compared to the manufacturer’s driver. Windows drivers are either capped or not always optimized for peak performance. Manufacturers’ driver, such as those from Intel, WD, or Samsung, often provides a better driver with many advanced features unlocked. In the absence of these, the NVMe can show non-uniform speed. Here is how you update the drivers in Windows.
3. BIOS/UEFI Settings Misconfiguration
The system BIOS configuration also plays a very important role in the driver communication. Misconfigured settings in BIOS can slow down the SSD, throttle performance, and establish inaccurate communication with the motherboard even if the hardware is technically compatible.
For SATA SSDs, the controller interface should be AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) and not IDE. IDE is made for hard drives that have no Native Command Queuing. Using IDE mode might make the SSD less responsive and reduce the speed to as little as half of the desired speed.
4. SSD Is Nearly Full
The fastest SSD, with everything unlocked and all major settings enabled, can also slow down if the data inside it is not maintained properly, or in simple words, the SSD is nearing full. SSDs are NAND-based flash memory that has complex algorithms for data management.
SSD to efficiently manage the data needs to do processes like garbage collection and wear levelling. And that needs free space. When the SSD is occupied by 70-80 percent, its processes become less effective, eventually leading to slower read/write. The drive controller has to work harder to find the available blocks, increasing the time taken to read or write the data. So, a better practice is to keep the SSD memory capacity at least 20-25 percent free.
5. Thermal Throttling
Thermal throttling is a beautiful feature provided in SSDs, particularly in NVMe models. It is basically a safety mechanism to warn us if the memory temperature increases by a certain threshold. No doubt it protects the hardware, but it also causes the SSD to slow down.
NVMe drives are much faster than SATA drives. As a result, it is likely to generate more heat while operating, and when it does, the SSD throttles the speed.
Heating can happen due to a lack of airflow in certain compact laptops. While in others, there might not be such an efficient liquid cooling system. Many motherboards come with heatsinks, but not all do. Without a heatsink or active airflow, due to inadequate cooling and improper ventilation, the PC can trap the heat and cause the hardware to cut back the performance.
6. Benchmarking and Testing Errors
Sometimes, an SSD not showing full speed can be the outcome of some mistake in the testing method you are using. Testing under the wrong conditions or with not so inefficient software can misinterpret, leading to an inaccurate conclusion.
Benchmarking tools like ATTO Disk Benchmark or CrystalDiskMark show you the performance in reference to a very ideal condition that never reflects the actual real-world efficiency.
A solution to this is to take an approximation of the multiple benchmark results under several conditions.
7. Using an External Enclosure or Adapter
Another reason your SSD is not showing the full speed can be the adapter or the enclosure you are using it with, in case you are. If using an SSD externally, the ports can also make a significant difference in speed.
USB limitations:
USB 2.0 can go up to an average read/write of 300 MB/s.
USB 3.0 can go up to 500 MB/s.
USB 3.1 Gen 2 can reach up to 1000 MB/s.
Thunderbolt supports speeds over 2000 MB/s.
Talking about the enclosure, cheaper enclosure uses a less superior bridge chipset than that of the costlier ones.
Conclusion
While upgrading to SSD or buying one for their system, users see the manufacturer advertisements and expect the exact speed match as prespecified, often in the range of 500 MB/s for SATA SSDs and over 3000 MB/s for NVMe SSDs.
The real-world performance, however, hardly ever matches the boasted speed. Understanding why your SSD isn’t showing the full speed is important not only to get what you paid for, but also to make sure that the system runs efficiently over time.