Your SSD is getting slower, and here’s how to fix it

SSDs are fast, but they don’t stay that way forever. Over time, you might notice longer boot times, sluggish file transfers, or apps that take a bit too long to open. It’s easy to assume the drive is dying, but that’s rarely the case. Most SSD slowdowns come down to a handful of fixable issues, from a full drive to mistakes that shorten your SSD’s lifespan, but the fixes are straightforward once you know where to look.

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When an SSD is almost full, TRIM might not help

TRIM and garbage collection both work together

SSDs need free space to work properly. Unlike hard drives, they can’t just overwrite old data — they have to erase entire blocks before writing new ones. This process, called garbage collection, relies on having empty blocks available. When your drive is more than 90% full, the controller runs out of room to shuffle data around efficiently, and write speeds take a noticeable hit. This constant shuffling, known as write amplification, reduces write speeds.

I’ve seen this firsthand on my own system. After letting my C: drive creep past 90% capacity, file transfers slowed, and basic tasks felt a bit sluggish. Freeing up space brought the speed right back. The fix here is to keep at least 10-20% of your SSD’s total capacity free. You can use a tool like WizTree to find what’s eating your space, or move large game libraries and 4K video files to a secondary storage drive. If you use Windows, also ensure Storage Sense is active to automatically purge temporary files that accumulate over time.

Now, TRIM is supposed to help with this. It’s a command that tells the SSD which data blocks are no longer in use, so the drive can erase them in the background and keep write performance consistent. On most modern Windows installs, TRIM is enabled by default — but it’s worth checking, especially if you cloned a drive or did a non-standard setup.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Type fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify and press Enter.
3. If the result is 0, TRIM is already active. If it shows 1, enable it by running fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0.

Even with TRIM working correctly, though, it can’t fully compensate for a packed drive. Give your SSD breathing room first, and let TRIM handle the rest.

Outdated firmware can silently slow down your SSD

But a quick update can make a difference

SSD manufacturers release firmware updates that fix bugs, improve compatibility, and optimize how the drive manages data. Most people never think about updating their SSD’s firmware — it’s not as visible as a Windows update — but running an outdated version can cause random slowdowns, stuttering, and even stability issues.

I updated the firmware on my Samsung 980 Pro a while back, and the difference in sustained write speeds was immediately noticeable. It’s one of those things you don’t realize is dragging you down until you fix it.

The easiest way to check is through the manufacturer’s dedicated tool. Download your SSD manufacturer’s management software — Samsung Magician, Crucial Storage Executive, or Intel Memory and Storage Tool, depending on your drive. Open the tool and navigate to the firmware section. If an update is available, follow the on-screen prompts to install it.

Your drive’s write cache might be disabled

Enable it for better performance

Write caching lets your SSD temporarily store incoming data in a faster buffer before committing it to the NAND flash. It’s a small thing, but it makes a difference in everyday responsiveness, as file copies feel snappier, and app installs move along quicker.

Windows sometimes turns off write caching by default, particularly on external or removable SSDs, to protect against data loss during unexpected shutdowns. For internal SSDs on a desktop or laptop, though, there’s no good reason to leave it off. To enable it:

1. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button.
2. Expand Disk drives and right-click your SSD.
3. Select Properties, then head to the Policies tab.
4. Check Enable write caching on the device and click OK.

Your SSD might be overheating under heavy loads

Thermal throttling is common, but a heatsink solves it

If you’re using a high-end Gen 4 or Gen 5 NVMe SSD, heat is a significant factor in performance. When temperatures climb too high during sustained reads or writes, the drive throttles its own performance to avoid damage. This is called thermal throttling, and it’s more common than you’d think, especially in laptops with poor airflow or desktop builds where the M.2 slot sits right next to a hot GPU.

The symptoms are predictable since performance starts strong but drops off sharply during large file transfers or extended gaming sessions. If you’re seeing that pattern, heat is likely the issue. You can monitor your SSD’s temperature using CrystalDiskInfo or your manufacturer’s tool. If it regularly exceeds 70°C under load, you’ve got a thermal problem.

The most effective fix is adding an M.2 heatsink. Most NVMe drives don’t ship with one, but aftermarket heatsinks are cheap and easy to install — they clip or screw directly onto the drive. Many modern motherboards also include built-in M.2 heatsinks. Check your motherboard box before buying one separately.

Your SSD’s health might be declining

Checking your drive’s wear level takes two minutes

Every SSD has a finite lifespan. The NAND flash cells inside your drive can only handle a certain number of write cycles before they wear out. Under normal use, like browsing, office work, and casual gaming, most SSDs last well beyond five years. But heavy workloads like video editing or running virtual machines accelerate that wear considerably.

As the cells degrade, the drive slows down before eventually switching to a read-only state or failing altogether. The good news is that you don’t have to guess where your drive stands. To check your SSD’s health:

1. Download CrystalDiskInfo. It’s free and works with virtually every drive.
2. Open it and look for the Health Status indicator and the Total Host Writes value.
3. Compare the total writes against your drive’s rated TBW (terabytes written), which you can find on the manufacturer’s spec sheet.

If you’re unsure how to interpret these numbers, here’s how to estimate the remaining lifespan of your SSD. Also, if health status drops below 70–80%, start planning a replacement and back up your data immediately. If the health looks fine but performance is still poor, the slowdown is almost certainly caused by one of the other issues covered above, not the drive itself dying.

Most SSD slowdowns aren’t hardware failures; they’re due to neglected settings and overlooked maintenance. The fixes mentioned often take as little as 15 minutes combined. What’s worth doing beyond this is to set a calendar reminder every few months to check your drive’s health and temperature, clear out unnecessary files, and look for firmware updates.

If you’re building a new PC, budget for a heatsink and a UPS from the start, and check these things before buying your NVMe SSD. Prevention is always cheaper than a replacement drive and far less stressful than recovering lost data.