The current computers generally come with a solid-state drive. Everyone’s attention to solid-state drives has always been high, and the most concerning question is definitely how to maximize the performance of installing a solid-state drive. In order to achieve a computer that boots up within 10 seconds, in fact, a large portion of users have not fully optimized the performance of their solid-state drives. This is because certain settings have not been configured properly. So today, follow along with YUNZE’s editor to learn about the optimization and configuration techniques for solid-state drives.
Firstly, to maximize the performance of a solid-state drive, you need to make the following settings: enable AHCI mode, enable TRIM function, enable 4K alignment, disable system restore function, disable disk indexing, and disable disk defragmentation schedule.
Enable AHCI mode #
Enabled AHCI mode is the first step to optimizing your SSD solid-state drive. To determine whether your disk’s read/write mode is AHCI mode, you should check your computer’s system. Most current computer systems run on Windows 7 or Windows 10. During a regular installation process, the disk is usually automatically set to “AHCI” by default. Only computers with XP systems installed are set to IDE mode. Everyone just needs to enter the BIOS settings to check and understand their setup.
- Press Win+R on your computer to open the Run dialog.
- Type “Regedit” to access the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to the path “local_machine\system\CurrentControlSet\Services\msahci”.
- Right-click to modify the disk mode to “0”, then restart your computer.
Enable TRIM Functionality #
Perhaps not everyone is familiar with the TRIM functionality. In reality, the TRIM function significantly enhances the read and write capabilities of SSDs. This feature is especially important as it can help reduce latency to some extent. Therefore, when installing an operating system on your computer, it’s crucial to ensure that the TRIM function is enabled. Press Win+R, and if users run the CMD in administrator mode and enter “fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify,” a return value of 0 indicates that the TRIM function is in enabled mode. However, if the return value is 1, it signifies that the TRIM function is in disabled mode. Unless you’re using an operating system that doesn’t support TRIM, there’s no need to perform this action regularly.
Repartition the computer and enable 4K Alignment #
In general, 4K alignment refers to 4K advanced formatting, which requires your hard disk sectors to be aligned on a 4K boundary. The 4K advanced formatting standard dictates a transition from the current 512-byte sector size to 4096 bytes (or 4K). This option enhances formatting efficiency, enabling higher disk capacity and improved error correction capabilities. However, older systems like XP don’t fully support larger sectors, leading to significant performance degradation.
Disable System Restore Functionality #
Disabling the system restore function is something that most people using solid-state drives don’t pay special attention to. However, it can affect the normal operations of the SSD and TRIM when restoring the system, consequently impacting the read and write capabilities of the solid-state drive.
Actually, disabling the system restore function is quite simple and easy to perform. You only need to follow a few straightforward steps.
- Right-click on “My Computer” and select “Properties.”
- Choose “System Protection.”
- Go to “Settings.”
- Disable System Restore.
Disable Disk Indexing #
If there aren’t many searches being conducted currently, you can directly disable indexing to allow the system to perform temporary searches. This approach helps to extend the lifespan of the solid-state drive. Generally, with the high random read performance of an SSD, temporary searches won’t be significantly slower than indexing.
Below are the steps to disable disk indexing:
- Press Win+R to open the Run dialog.
- Type “services.msc” and press Enter to open the Services window.
- Scroll down and find “Windows Search” in the list of services.
- Right-click on “Windows Search” and select “Properties.”
- In the “Startup type” dropdown, select “Disabled.”
- Click the “Stop” button if the service is currently running.
- Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
- Close the Services window.
Keep in mind that disabling disk indexing might impact search functionality on your computer.
Disable Disk Defragmentation Schedule #
Disabling the disk defragmentation schedule involves re-reading and rewriting important files stored on the disk in sequential order to organize them. However, performing these read-and-write operations excessively can undoubtedly impact the lifespan of a solid-state drive. This is because the flash memory characteristic of SSDs limits the number of write cycles. If this limit is exceeded, the entire disk becomes unable to accept further writes, rendering it unusable. Therefore, conducting disk defragmentation on a solid-state drive is highly unfavorable.
Below are the steps to disable disk defragmentation:
- Press Win+R to open the Run dialog.
- Type “dfrgui” and press Enter to open the Disk Defragmenter.
- In the Disk Defragmenter window, click on “Change settings.”
- Uncheck the box that says “Run on a schedule (recommended).”
- Click “OK” to save the changes.
Disabling disk defragmentation helps prevent excessive read and write operations on a solid-state drive, which can impact its overall lifespan.
Up to this point, the main methods to maximize the performance of a solid-state drive have been covered in the above aspects. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
