A Solid State Drive (SSD) is a storage drive, that might actually slow down due to a variety of reasons over time.
Issues due to the external factors can be the main cause for the SSD to slow down rather than it slowing down on its own. Let’s look at all of these reasons and their remedies to fix a slow SSD on Windows 10.
Recommended: Use ST Cleaner
Cleaning up the various kinds of junk stashed over the hard drives is a very critical task that can go a long way in ensuring the SSD performs up-to-the-mark. There can be various kinds of junk data present on an average computer system, ranging from system junk to browser junk to software junk. However, you need a 1-stop solution to fix them all. ST Cleaner is what they call it!
Deactivate Onboard VGA
Disabling the onboard VGA feature on the computer can diminish the slow and time-consuming performance issue of the SSD. Here is how you can easily disable the onboard VGA:
- Open up BIOS of your system by restarting your computer.
- Now select Advanced BIOS.
- Search and deactivate the Onboard VGA feature.
It should be noted that option titles and the instructions may vary among different types of motherboards. Search according to the motherboard on your computer and perform the steps accordingly.
Configure Boot Order
The incorrect configuration of the bootup sequence may have slowdown effect on the SSD. If top priority to boot up is set to hard drive, the fetch and load time for the operating system from an external source will take more time than usual.
Simply open up BIOS and give SSD priority over HDD by changing the boot sequence.
Update Version of BIOS
There is a likelihood that the slowdown problem of SSD may persist if your BIOS is outdated. Download the updated version of BIOS from your computer manufacturer’s website and install it to override any hardware and cache malfunctions.
SATA Port Issue
These days, the SSD performance may affect the speed of the ports of the motherboards, for example, SATA 6Gbps/ SATA 3Gbps ports. There are motherboards with Intel SATA controller, built on their Intel chipsets. Connecting the boot device to this controller may show some positive results due to the controller’s high speed.
Check the SATA Cable
For a better SSD performance, ensure that the cables are not defective and manufactured by a renowned company.
Update SSD Firmware
As manufacturers release updates on a timely basis, it is suggested to check for any firmware update of the SSD and keep track of the complete performance to ensure the SSD performs at its best.
SSD Optimization
The SSD gathers junk over time and must be cleaned up to optimize it. Timely optimization restores the SSD to its default shape. It can be enabled in Windows 10 as follows:
- Search for the Disk Cleanup option in Start menu and select it.
- Select the SSD drive and click OK to launch the process.
- Once the junk files have been detected, click OK to delete them.
Similarly, search for Defragment and Optimize Drives in the Start menu and select it. Now select the drive and select Optimize for your SSD drive.
Upgrade to High Power Plan
In case of sharing of other devices sharing power like as the GPUs, it is strongly suggested to keep your equipment at High performance rather than the Balanced. You can easily search for Power & sleep settings in the Start menu, select Additional power settings on the right and select High performance.
SSD Formatting
It is necessary to format the SSD before installing the SO as it will perform better than a non-formatted SSD. Simply open This PC, right-click the SSD and click Format.
Low Capacity RAM
Sometimes the real culprit is the RAM, rather than the SSD. The draining down of the RAM to the lowest level might lead to a decrease in cache size and moreover, adversely impact the SSD performance.
If you are a Windows 10 user, getting 8GB RAM is highly recommended if you plan to use heavy software programs on your computer.
Remove SSD Contents
Like any other machine, the performance may drain due to excessive usage. Therefore, always do backup your data to another disk and securely erase all the data on your SSD from time to time.
These were some of the most popular solutions that can help you get the best out of your SSD. Good Luck!
