Should SSD Drives Be Optimized & How Often? Answered

SSD stands for Solid State Drive, and it has many advantages over the older forms of storage devices.

These storage devices comprise a non-volatile memory known as flash memory. SSD has many advantages over HDD (Hard Disc Drive). It is durable because it has solid-state components. Its access time is way faster than the HDD as it has no moving parts. SSDs are extremely portable.

SSD has the extreme capacity, usually in TBs (Terabytes). Its data transfer speed is also unbelievable. Its compatibility with many different devices makes it a versatile storage device. Since you can install them on your computer, this article discusses should SSD drives be optimized and how often?”

Should SSD Drives Be Optimized & How Often?

You do not need to optimize your SSD by defragging it as it is unnecessary and decreases its lifetime. It won’t increase their performance. The HDDs (hard disk drives) store data in several random chunks. That is why they only needed defragmentation to organize that data in a certain order.

In the old times, computer users used defragmentation on their HDD to boost its performance and efficiency. Hard discs did not store data in an organized manner. Defragmentation was the only option to organize that data in a certain order. But it is not necessary for the SSDs.

The SSDs are made up of flash memory, a very fast electronic permanent storage. It can store huge amounts of data in a certain order for over ten years. The data arrangement in a solid-state drive is so arranged that it doesn’t need fragmentation. Instead, this process is claimed to be dangerous.

Defragmentation is a method to optimize storage devices. The operating system uses software to rearrange the whole data in a particular order during this process. It becomes easier for your operating system to access that data quickly, increasing the performance and efficiency of the storage device.

An HDD uses magnetic discs to store data, while an SSD uses IC chips. This difference in storage technique makes a solid-state drive different from a hard drive. The IC chips in an SSD operate at a very high speed, nearly equal to the speed of electrons. The HDDs are no match for the SSDs.

There is mechanical hardware, the head, for reading and writing data in a hard disk drive. It moves on a certain path for storing and retrieving data on the storage. Its movements and search for certain data or addresses take time. Disorganization of data wastes more time. That’s why SSDs need to be optimized.

On the other hand, the data stored in a solid-state drive is so organized. It also has no mechanical parts like the rear/writes head installed in it. It saves a lot of time that HHDs waste in storing and retrieving data. It also allows SSDs to be shockproof to much extent.

How Often Should I Optimize My SSD?

There are other methods of optimizing your SSD instead of defragging it, as it is unnecessary when you have such a storage device. Your operating system, especially Windows 10/11, takes care of this for you. But if optimizing is necessary, do it once a week or twice a month, not daily.

If you want to optimize your SSD by defragging it, then don’t, as it will decrease your SSD’s lifespan. SSDs are way different than HDDs, which is why they do not need the older methods to optimize them. Instead, some other tips and techniques can help you optimize your Solid State Drive (SSD).

SSDs are not built for defragmentation. This process is unique to the HDDs. Hence you should defrag them. You should only defrag an SSD used for several years; users have deleted, moved, or copied data several times. Such storage might need defragmentation badly.

How Do I Optimize My SSD For Best Performance?

Turn On Write Caching

Press the combination of the “Windows + X” key and select the “Device Manager” option from the menu. Navigate to “Disk drives” and expand it. Now, right-click on the name of your SSD and select the “Properties” option. A window with multiple tabs will appear. Go to its “Policies” tab and check “Enable write caching on the device.”

You must enable it when you have high-speed and more capacity RAMs, especially when you have UPS or a permanent power source. But if your area has load shedding issues, we do not recommend you switch it on as it can cause data corruption in case of sudden power failure.

Write caching is an outstanding feature of the Microsoft Windows operating system. It allows your main memory (RAM) to receive the write commands that the CPU sends to an SSD or other storage devices. RAM is the only hardware that can directly communicate with your processor.

Put simply, write commands are stored on your RAM, making a cache. Cache has something that your computer needs immediately and frequently. That is why it increases the performance and efficiency of your solid-state drive and computer system.    

Disable Startup Apps

Right-click the taskbar and select the “Task Manager” option from the menu. A small window with multiple tabs will appear on the screen. Go to the tab saying “Startup.” It will show you all your startup apps. Select unnecessary apps individually and press the “Disable” button.

Disabling the startup apps in your computer will make your SSD fast and efficient. Startup apps force your SSD to transfer data and program instructions to the RAM so your CPU can run them. When this process occurs at the time of your computer’s startup, when the OS is loading its services, the SSD loses its performance.

It not only becomes a burden for your solid state drive to transfer a huge amount of data, but your computer processor is also overloaded. As a result, your computer becomes slow, and its performance and efficiency degrades. Its CPU usage becomes high until all apps are loaded in the RAM and executed.

Disable Fast Startup

Press the combination of the “Windows + I” key. It will open the “Control Panel” app for you. Next, select “System” settings. After this, choose “Power & Sleep” from the list on your left-hand side. Under the “Related Settings” section, select the “Additional Power Settings” option.

A new window will open from which you must select the “Choose what the power button do” option from the list on your left-hand side. A new form will appear on your screen. First, click on the title “Change settings that are currently unavailable.” After this, uncheck the “Turn on fast startup” option in the “Shutdown Settings” below. SSDs are very fast storage devices. They do not need fast startup, especially when the operating system, main apps, and games are installed.

Fast startup is an amazing feature that helps your computer start faster than usual, especially when good hardware like SSDs is installed. It not only saves time, but it also makes a good impression on the user. But it doesn’t work well for all computers.

Enable AHCI Mode

To enable this, restart your computer and go to your BIOS. After this, navigate to “SATA Configuration Settings,” “SATA Type Settings,” or “SATA Mode Settings.” It varies from motherboard to motherboard. Next, change the mode from “IDE” to “AHCI.” Don’t forget to save the changes before exiting BIOS.

AHCI stands for Advanced Host Controller Interface. You can set your SATA settings to run in this mode. It boosts your SSD’s performance dramatically. This feature is essential for the maximum performance of your solid-state drive as it is responsible for making it functional and optimal.

Enable TRIM

Open the “Start Menu” and type “CMD.” Now, right-click on it and select “Run as administrator.” As the app opens, type or copy-paste this command “fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify,” and press Enter. If the values are “0,” then TRIM is enabled. Otherwise, you need to enable it.

In case you cannot see the status, type this command “NTFS DisableDeleteNotify 0”. If TRIM is not enabled, you must run this command using the same Command Prompt (CMD) “fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify 0”. It will enable it to increase your SSD’s performance.

TRIM is an ATA command that allows your SSD to erase unnecessary data from the no longer needed blocks. Doing this reduces the write time and enables your solid-state drive to maintain optimal performance. You must enable it if you have SSDs installed on your computer. 

Change Your Power Plan To High Performance

For this, open the “Start Menu,” type “Edit Power Plans,” and press Enter. Right after this, a window will pop up. In this window’s address bar, click “Power Options.” It will lead you to the power plans. Select the “High Performance” power plan and close the window.

If you cannot find this plan, click on the title saying “Show additional plans.” Power plants are very important in increasing or decreasing your computer’s performance. Selecting the best power plan is essential for you. Otherwise, your computer will become slow. 

Performance is the amount of useful and essential work that your computer performs. A computer in high-performance mode completes tasks faster than a computer in any other power mode. It increases the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of your computer system.

Should I Turn Off Scheduled Optimization for SSD?

It is claimed that repeated SSD optimization is not good for its health because it decreases its lifetime. You should try other methods we discussed instead of applying defragmentation to optimize your solid-state drive. But if you need to optimize it by defragging it, do it once a week.

You do not need to defrag your SSD if you are a Windows user. It is because Windows 10/11 has an amazing feature called TRIM. It erases the unnecessary and unused data from your SSD’s memory blocks. Scheduled optimization automatically defrags your SSD after some days, rearranging the data written on it.

What Makes SSD Performance Poor?

Low RAM is one of the reasons behind this problem. RAM works as an intermediary memory between SSD and CPU. When its capacity is low, it cannot hold more data, instructions, and addresses from the SSD and CPU. Old and outdated BIOS firmware is also another reason behind this issue.

Less storage space in your SSD makes its performance poor as it not only has the OS and apps you run but also has a portion of virtual memory on it. A solid-state disc that contains malware or viruses becomes slow. The only solution is to scan it for viruses using antimalware software.

The disabled TRIM command can also be a problem behind this issue. This article contains methods for increasing your SSD’s performance. Some tools help you diagnose the health of your storage device. Use such software to know if your SSD is healthy or needs a new one.

Conclusion

You should not defrag your SSD (Solid State Disc) repeatedly to optimize it, as it decreases its lifetime. It is a different storage media than the old HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). They have spinning discs, while SSDs have solid-state flash memory IC chips. These chips store your data and apps.

As defragmentation is not for SSDs, you should leave it to the Windows operating system. It has an amazing feature known as TRIM. But if you must optimize your solid state drive by defragging it, do it once a week or twice a month. Frequent optimization is harmful to your solid state storage device.

You can optimize your SSD by turning on Write Caching, which makes the cache of write command addresses on your RAM. Disabling startup apps also helps your SSD to speed up essential processes. Disabling fast startup also helps, but only when SSD is installed on your computer.

Enable TRIM and AHCI on your computer so your SSD can work on its maximum performance and efficiency. Usually, the wrong powerplant slows down your computer hardware. In this case, switch to the “High Performance” power mode to boost your solid-state drive.