SSD optimization tweaks to improve speed and performance
Solid-state storage seem to be faster than mechanical disks. However, a few people know that their drive might not be properly configured. With the market overcrowded with solid-state drives, we decided to present some of the most popular tweaks we can use to improve performance and speed of your drive.
To start with, enable AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface). It is a specification which covers the action mode of SATA controllers. It is responsible for the flow of data between system memory and data storage device in your computer.
To do so, go to BIOS by using either Del, F2 or F10 key (depending on the manufacturer and make of the motherboard). Then, find your hard drive or storage settings.
Next, change the setting from IDE or RAID to AHCI. Save the option pressing F10. The computer reboots automatically.
Before starting the whole procedure, make sure you have Microsoft’s AHCI drivers installed, before enabling AHCI. To do it, just download and install the Fix It package directly from Microsoft. It introduces a small change to the Windows Registry, thus ensuring smooth running of AHCI.
Secondly, make sure the TRIM command works properly (Windows 7 and 8 only). It is responsible for removing unused blocks on SSD, which is essential procedure before you save them. However, if a configuration error exists, the drive will quickly run out of free space, what will result in sluggish performance.
We can download TRIM driver from the official Intel storage for Intel chipsets or by updating Windows Update (the Microsoft drivers for AMD chipsets). To install drivers, go to Device Manager and select Update the drivers option.
Before proceeding, check if your chipset supports TRIM.
Additionally, check to see if your drive requires a firmware update. It is important to have the latest version installed, since it prevents from problems in the future. We can upgrade from the official website.