Have you ever had the experience of using a high-speed SSD in a USB case as an external drive, but for some reason the speed is slower than you'd expect? Even though the theoretical speed of USB 3.0 should be much faster than that of an HDD, it can be disappointing when the actual transfer speed is slow.
The slowdown is not actually due to a malfunction of the SSD or USB.Small oversights, such as Windows settings and connection methodsThis may be the cause.
In this article, we will clearly explain the main causes of slow USB-connected SSDs, as well as a simple method for checking and specific solutions that even beginners can try.
Let's try the solutions one by one! Troubleshooting Guide
Step 1: Review how you plug in your USB cable (most important)
Before you suspect software settings, let's start by eliminating the most unlikely, free cause.
When connecting a USB 3.0 device to a Windows PC, the device may not operate at its full speed. Although it is not widely known, one of the causes of this may be related to the way the device is plugged in.
The USB 3.0 plug has a two-stage structure: a USB 2.0 connector at the front and an additional USB 3.0 connector at the back.
For this reason, the plugInserting it slowly or not inserting it all the way inThis causes the PC to only recognize the front USB 2.0 port, resulting in the connection being in slower USB 2.0 mode.
If you are experiencing slow speeds during benchmark tests, unplug the power cord.Insert it all the way in until you hear a clickTry reinserting it.
I have experienced this "insertion method" problem myself.
The operating environment is a combination of the WT200-SSD-256GB SSD with a maximum read speed of 550MB/s and a JSAUX SATA USB conversion cable with UASP support, which provides no performance issues.
However, when I first connected, the speed was noticeably slow, to the point that I suspected a hardware defect.
*CrystalDisk Mark 8" measured.
So, to check if the problem was due to "USB misrecognition," which was known to be the cause, I unplugged the cable and then plugged it back in firmly, and the original speed was successfully measured.
Pochip
Pochip
Step 2: Check your physical connections (ports, cables, hubs)
If there are no problems with the insertion method, next check the surrounding physical environment.
Check the color of the USB port
Look at the USB port on your PC.blueIf so, it's a USB 3.0 (or higher) port. Black and white ports are the older USB 2.0 standard, which means they're much slower. Always connect to a blue port.
Rethink your USB cable
A surprising pitfall is USB cables: even if they look the same, the internal quality can vary.
- Check the specifications: Check the standard: Make sure the cable is marked "SS (SuperSpeed)."In particular, if you are using an extension cable, be sure to check that the extension cable itself is also USB 3.0 compatible.Older USB 2.0 extension cables often slow down the overall speed.
- Try a different cable: Especially if the cable has been used for a long time, it may be breaking internally. If possible, try connecting it with a different USB 3.0 cable and see if the speed changes.
Connecting without a USB hub
If you are using a USB hub, remove the hub and then connect the SSD. Connect directly to the USB port on your PCIf this improves your speed, the problem is with your USB hub. Cheap USB hubs often have slow speeds or unstable power supplies.
Step 3: Review your Windows basic settings (power plan)
If the physical connection is OK, the next thing to check is your Windows settings.
If the Windows power plan is set to "Power Saver," power supply to the USB port may be limited, which may reduce SSD performance.
1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run, type the following command and press Enter:
powercfg.cpl
2. Make sure "Balanced" or "High Performance" is checked. If it is set to "Power Saver," try changing the plan.
- [Windows 11] Guide to Creating a Custom Power Plan | Optimize your PC with High Performance and Sleep Disabled
- [Windows 11] Dramatically improve the efficiency of power plan management! Optimize your PC environment with a resident tool that can switch and delete power plans
Step 4: How to maximize SSD performance (TRIM and UASP)
From here on, we will go through some advanced settings to maximize the performance of your SSD. We will use the command prompt, but you can easily check it by copying and pasting.
TRIM is a very important maintenance function that prevents the write speed of SSDs from decreasing. It efficiently organizes unnecessary data and keeps SSDs in the best condition at all times.
UASP is a communication method for transferring data more efficiently and quickly over USB 3.0. When enabled, it significantly improves the read and write speeds of SSDs.
Check if TRIM is enabled
1. Open Command Prompt as administrator, type the following command and press Enter:
Learn how to open a command prompt
1. Press Windows key + R to open Run.
2. Type "cmd".
3.Shift + Ctrl + Enter Please press.
4. When the "User Account Control" message appears, click "Yes".
fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify2. Check the results.
DisableDeleteNotify = 0If it is displayed asTRIM is enabled(No problem.)DisableDeleteNotify = 1If it is displayed asTRIM is disabled.
If it is disabled, run the following command to enable it:
fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0
After the message "This action will take effect immediately (no reboot required)" is displayed, run the following command again to check whether TRIM is enabled.
fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotifyAbout ReFS
Why does ReFS appear?
fsutilThis command does not check the type of disk currently connected,The setting status of the "file system driver" installed in the Windows OSis displayed.
- NTFSNTFS is the standard file system for Windows. Your PC's C drive is also formatted with NTFS.
- ReFS (Resilient File System): A newer file system with more advanced features, primarily used in Windows Server.
The latest Windows has a feature that allows you to use ReFS formatted disks in the future.The function (driver) for reading and writing ReFS is pre-built.
The command result shows that the TRIM function is enabled in both the "NTFS driver" and the "ReFS driver" built into the OS.
Check if connected in UASP mode
You can check if your SSD is running in UASP mode in Device Manager.
- Search for "Device Manager" in the Start menu and open it.
- Expand the "Storage controllers" item.
- If it says "USB Attached SCSI (UAS) Mass Storage Device" or "USB Attached SCSI (UAS) Mass Storage Device" here, it is working properly in UASP mode.
- If you only see "USB Mass Storage Device" here, your SSD case may not support UASP or there may be a problem with the driver.
Condition 1: "PC chipset supports UASP"
- Most modern PCs have USB 3.0 ports, so you don't need to worry too much.
Condition 2: "The chipset and firmware of the USB 3.0 device support UASP."
- This is the most important thing to note. Some cheap SSD cases do not support UASP. Make sure the product packaging or manual says "UASP supported."
Condition 3: "PC has the appropriate driver installed"
And here's the most important point: if you're using Windows 10 or 11, this driver is built into the OS from the beginning. Therefore, if you connect a UASP-compatible SSD case,Windows will automatically select the best driver for youSo you don't need to find and install the driver yourself.
What if that doesn't work?
If you have tried all the steps above and still can't improve your speed, unfortunatelySSD case (USB enclosure) or SSD itselfThis may be due to a physical malfunction or compatibility issues.
If possible, you can try using a different SSD case or installing the SSD in your PC and measuring its speed to isolate the problem.
Summary
If you notice your USB-connected SSD is running slow, try the simple steps we've introduced here before rushing to assume it's broken. In most cases, simply reviewing the settings or replacing the cable will help restore your SSD's original excellent performance.
Comment: