SSD NVMe drives are the latest breakthrough that removes chunky classic HDD drives. SSDs are blazing fast and benefit both workstations and gaming machines, including consoles. There is a handful of tricks and tweaks to make your NVMe drive as fast and efficient as possible. This guide was created for Windows 10 and 11, but it will work in all versions of windows from XP onwards. However, the steps to reach specific options within the system differ.
If you are building your PC or decided you need a total clean-up of the system, the first thing you should do before installing new windows on your SSD is to ensure your bios is set to AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode. Depending on the motherboard, you can find this option in various places, but it's usually found under the SATA controller configuration.
Most modern motherboards default to AHCI mode, but older models might be set to IDE as default. It won't hurt to double-check, especially since it will improve total system responsiveness by an average of 10% — a reminder to do this step only if you are about to install new windows. Changing controller mode while your system is installed __will fail to boot!__
TRIM is a system that allows your windows to communicate with the SSD drive about any data not needed or used by the system. It helps make your system clog-free.
To find out if TRIM is enabled, you need to:
• Type CMD in the windows search bar
• Right-click on searched command prompt program and select Run as Administrator
• Type this line in the command prompt: **fsutil behaviour query DisableDeleteNotify**
If TRIM is enabled, it will return DisableDeleteNotify=0. If TRIM is not enabled, you can turn it on in the command prompt by typing: fsutil behaviour set dosabledeletenotify 0 followed by hitting enter.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC2.png
Indexing Service was made to speed up searching files on your drives. Since SSDs are so fast, indexing is no longer necessary. Indexing also writes some data every time a file is changed, saved or deleted, shortening your SSD lifespan.
• To disable indexing, click Start on the Windows taskbar and open File Explorer.
• Choose the SSD drive, right click and select properties
• Uncheck the box at the bottom labelled "Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties."
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC3.png
This option is very often enabled by default, but it is worth double-checking as this will speed up overall system responsiveness.
• In the Windows search bar, type Device Manager
• Once opened, locate the disk drive and expand it
• Select your drive, right click and choose properties
• Go to the Policies tab and make sure Enable Write Caching is enabled.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC4.png
This one seems obvious, but many people install their NVMe and forget about it. Depending on the brand, SSD software will provide many valuable features, like monitoring the health of your drive, but an essential part is making sure your SSD firmware is up to date, which will extend the drive's longevity and ensure it's always working optimally and efficiently.
It is a controversial move, and many will want to avoid following this step. However, if you do not have any important files stored on your system drive, you should disable this function. System restore makes it easier to get your PC back and to run if something goes wrong, but it also constantly writes quite a bit of data on your SSD, which is not ideal and sometimes conflicts with TRIM resulting in slower drive performance. As a bonus, you will get a few GBs of storage free.
To turn off System Restore, you need the following:
• Type restore in the Windows search bar
• Open Create a Restore Point and navigate to the System Protection tab
• Select your drive, click configure and disable system protection
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC1.png
This point is mainly dedicated to laptop users. Keep in mind that this will drain the battery faster! The high-performance mode will give your system an extra kick and makes sure your SSD never goes to sleep.
To enable this option:
• Type Power Saving in the Windows search bar and open windows power plan
• Select High-Performance plan
• Next to it, click Change plan settings
• Within change plan settings, navigate to change advanced power settings
• Locate the drop-down menu for Hard disk and set turn off hard disk after to 0 minutes
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC5.png
SSDs need to avoid cluttering your system with files you don't need. Anything from old cache or registry files can be wiped with most programs designed to brush up inside your PC. CCleaner is the most user-friendly program that will wipe any old cache files or unused registry entries with the click of a button. It's also free. Hopefully, the above guide will help you make your system slightly snappier. You may not opt-in to use all the tweaks provided, but running your SSD in AHCI mode and having TRIM enabled in your system is highly recommended.
Disclaimers
[Jakub Dominik](https://twitter.com/Hexagon90x) is a gaming and technology journalist for Stock Checker.
**Step 1: Enable AHCI mode in bios. (Only for fresh windows installations!)**
If you are building your PC or decided you need a total clean-up of the system, the first thing you should do before installing new windows on your SSD is to ensure your bios is set to AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode. Depending on the motherboard, you can find this option in various places, but it's usually found under the SATA controller configuration.
Most modern motherboards default to AHCI mode, but older models might be set to IDE as default. It won't hurt to double-check, especially since it will improve total system responsiveness by an average of 10% — a reminder to do this step only if you are about to install new windows. Changing controller mode while your system is installed __will fail to boot!__
**Step 2: Make sure TRIM is enabled.**
TRIM is a system that allows your windows to communicate with the SSD drive about any data not needed or used by the system. It helps make your system clog-free.
To find out if TRIM is enabled, you need to:
• Type CMD in the windows search bar
• Right-click on searched command prompt program and select Run as Administrator
• Type this line in the command prompt: **fsutil behaviour query DisableDeleteNotify**
If TRIM is enabled, it will return DisableDeleteNotify=0. If TRIM is not enabled, you can turn it on in the command prompt by typing: fsutil behaviour set dosabledeletenotify 0 followed by hitting enter.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC2.png
**Step 3: Disable Indexing Service.**
Indexing Service was made to speed up searching files on your drives. Since SSDs are so fast, indexing is no longer necessary. Indexing also writes some data every time a file is changed, saved or deleted, shortening your SSD lifespan.
• To disable indexing, click Start on the Windows taskbar and open File Explorer.
• Choose the SSD drive, right click and select properties
• Uncheck the box at the bottom labelled "Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties."
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC3.png
**Step 4: Enable Write Caching.**
This option is very often enabled by default, but it is worth double-checking as this will speed up overall system responsiveness.
• In the Windows search bar, type Device Manager
• Once opened, locate the disk drive and expand it
• Select your drive, right click and choose properties
• Go to the Policies tab and make sure Enable Write Caching is enabled.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC4.png
**Step 5: Update your SSD.**
This one seems obvious, but many people install their NVMe and forget about it. Depending on the brand, SSD software will provide many valuable features, like monitoring the health of your drive, but an essential part is making sure your SSD firmware is up to date, which will extend the drive's longevity and ensure it's always working optimally and efficiently.
**Step 6: Turn off System Restore.**
It is a controversial move, and many will want to avoid following this step. However, if you do not have any important files stored on your system drive, you should disable this function. System restore makes it easier to get your PC back and to run if something goes wrong, but it also constantly writes quite a bit of data on your SSD, which is not ideal and sometimes conflicts with TRIM resulting in slower drive performance. As a bonus, you will get a few GBs of storage free.
To turn off System Restore, you need the following:
• Type restore in the Windows search bar
• Open Create a Restore Point and navigate to the System Protection tab
• Select your drive, click configure and disable system protection
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC1.png
**Step 7: Use High-Performance Power Settings.**
This point is mainly dedicated to laptop users. Keep in mind that this will drain the battery faster! The high-performance mode will give your system an extra kick and makes sure your SSD never goes to sleep.
To enable this option:
• Type Power Saving in the Windows search bar and open windows power plan
• Select High-Performance plan
• Next to it, click Change plan settings
• Within change plan settings, navigate to change advanced power settings
• Locate the drop-down menu for Hard disk and set turn off hard disk after to 0 minutes
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/HowToOptimiseNVMESSDonPC5.png
**Step 8: De-clutter your system regularly.**
SSDs need to avoid cluttering your system with files you don't need. Anything from old cache or registry files can be wiped with most programs designed to brush up inside your PC. CCleaner is the most user-friendly program that will wipe any old cache files or unused registry entries with the click of a button. It's also free. Hopefully, the above guide will help you make your system slightly snappier. You may not opt-in to use all the tweaks provided, but running your SSD in AHCI mode and having TRIM enabled in your system is highly recommended.
Disclaimers
[Jakub Dominik](https://twitter.com/Hexagon90x) is a gaming and technology journalist for Stock Checker.