SSDs are more reliable and durable than HDDs because they don’t have any moving parts. That means they can withstand accidental drops. However, the architecture of the NAND cells that store data in SSDs does put a limit on write endurance. The flash memory cells can only be programmed and erased a limited number of times. Therefore, it’s important to know how the SSD will be used in a system and thus gauge how long a drive will last. Fortunately, an SSD’s health and reliability can be monitored using SMART.
What Is SMART Monitoring?
SMART stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. It is a system built into most modern hard drives and SSDs and is designed to monitor the status of your drive and identify issues that need to be fixed. SMART is extremely useful for monitoring the health of your SSD, life-remaining, and for reporting on a variety of attributes such as min/max/average temperature, lifetime host reads/write, power-on hours, and even how often unexpected power losses have been recorded by the SSD.
Kingston SSD Manager
For SATA SSDs, SMART reporting isn’t standardized. Most drive manufacturers have created their own tool in order to monitor SSD life-remaining and check the SMART status of their drives. Drive manufacturers take their own approaches to SMART monitoring, but generally, they measure similar performance and reliability attributes.
SMART reporting is standardized for NVMe SSDs. However, there is minimal data defined so manufactures may augment the data by implementing vendor unique log pages containing extra proprietary data.
Kingston Technology SSDs can be monitored using the Kingston SSD Manager (KSM) application. It provides users with the ability to monitor and manage various aspects of their Kingston solid-state drive. Kingston SSD Manager offers the ability to:
- Monitor your drive’s health, status, and disk usage
- View drive identification data
- View and export detailed drive health and status reports
- Update drive firmware
- Securely erase data
- Manage TCG Opal and IEEE 1667
- Overprovision with Host Protected Area (HPA) on data center SSDs
Download the Kingston SSD Manager app and check out our User Guide for an in-depth breakdown of the different features. In any case, Kingston Support are available to assist you with any questions you have.
Are There Other Ways to Maintain an SSD’s Health?
Although SMART monitoring is a great way to monitor the health and overall functioning of your SSD, there are other things you can do to proactively help maintain your SSD’s health.
- Ensure the latest storage drivers are installed
- Shutdown your computer properly, don’t force shutdown
- Ensure storage-related BIOS updates are performed
- Backup your data regularly
- For Kingston SSDs, check Kingston SSD Manager for important firmware updates that may improve function or fix bugs
Conclusion
It’s always a good idea to periodically check the health of your SSD. KSM can allow you to continually monitor your drive’s health, gain an important insight into your disk usage, alert you to possible firmware updates, and investigate any problems that might suggest your SSD is close to its end of life. If your SSD health has drastically decreased over its lifespan, consider upgrading your SSD to a high-performance drive.
#KingstonIsWithYou
Related Products
Sort byName — A to Z
- Supports a full security suite
- 2.5" and mSATA form factors
- 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Up to 550MB/s read, 520MB/s write
- PCIe 4.0 NVMe
- M.2 2280 form factor
- 512GB, 1024GB, 2048GB, 4096GB
- Up to 7,000MB/s read, 7,000MB/s write
- Ideal for Gamers and PC Enthusiasts
- PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280
- 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
- Up to 7,300MB/s read, 7,000MB/s write
- Pocket-sized portability
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
- 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
- Up to 2,000MB/s read, 2,000MB/s write
- Pocket-sized backup
- USB 3.2 Gen 2
- 1TB, 2TB
- Up to 1,050MB/s read, 1,000MB/s write
No products were found matching your selection
Related Articles
5 Ways to Make Photoshop Run Faster
Upgrading your RAM and closing other programs are just a few ways to improve performance.
Upgrade Your PC to Streamline Your Workflow
Take advantage of these upgrades to streamline your workflow.
Top 6 Reasons to Upgrade to an NVMe SSD
Increased speed and better power efficiency are just two of the benefits.
How much memory do you need to run Windows, macOS, or Linux apps?
We show you how to assess your current memory along with your actual needs based on your apps, OS.
The Role of Reliable SSDs in the Media and Broadcasting Industry
Reliable SSDs transform media workflows for heightened productivity and competitiveness.
Revive an Old Computer
Simple tasks you can do at home to get more life out of an old PC.
HDD vs External SSD
Which has more advantages for consumers improving their computers: an HDD or external SSD?
What is a RAM Disk?
What is RAM Disk and how does it offer improved PC performance?
Upgrade the memory and storage in your Dell Laptop or Desktop PC
A step-by-step of how a Dell PC owner can remedy a memory/storage issue with their machine.
Overclocking Memory for Adobe Applications
Learn how Kingston FURY helps work PCs run faster in Adobe Photoshop, and Premiere Pro.
The Ultimate RAM Guide for Gamers
A guide to what you need to know and understand as a first-time RAM buyer.
How Much Memory Do You Need for Gaming?
It is important to have the right amount of memory to guarantee a smooth gaming experience.
More for Less: Why Is Upgrading Important in Today's Economic Climate?
Discover why upgrading your technology in this economy matters more than ever.
What to Do if Your SSD Is Full
Limited storage capacity can cause poor performance. Here is how to get space on your SSD.
Overclocking RAM For More FPS
Improving memory performance with overclocking can make improving FPS across multiple games a snap.
Understanding File Systems
What is a file system? Here are some of the most used systems and their pros and cons.
Upgrading RAM for HP, Dell, Lenovo and Acer Laptops and Desktops
Why you should upgrade your RAM to extend the life of your system rather than replace it.
How to Optimize Your PC for Better Performance
Upgrading your RAM and SSD can help improve your overall PC performance.
Extend the Life of Your IT: Upgrade Vs. Replace
We explore the benefits of upgrading vs. replacing, and how organizations can succeed.
Mineral Oil Cooling in PC Builds
A mineral oil PC build offers various benefits that make it an attractive option for enthusiasts.
2 Types of M.2 SSDs: SATA and NVMe
There are two types of M.2 SSDs available which are SATA and NVMe. Learn more about each type.
NVMe Is the Silent IT Revolution—What Is It, and Why Should You Adopt It?
Learn about NVMe and why choosing it is beneficial to your organization’s infrastructure.
How do you backup your computer? Windows and Mac drive backup
There’s a few different ways to backup your Windows and Mac drives and they can be either online or local. We’ll show you how.
Evaluating Storage Products for Your Enterprise Needs
Choosing storage products for your enterprise is a complex process. Kingston offers our expertise.
How to Upgrade Your Laptop with RAM
Older laptops with bad gaming performance should be upgraded with more RAM. We show you how.
How to Choose the Right Gaming Laptop
Buying a gaming laptop isn’t an easy task. Here are some things to consider.
Optimizing Storage in a Creative World
Learn how Kingston and QNAP solutions help optimize content creation.
How to Upgrade Your PC with RAM
Unlock your PC's gaming potential with Kingston memory: we show you how to install new RAM modules!
What to Do AFTER Building Your PC
Have you built your dream PC? Let's complete these few steps to set it up.
Work and Play: Why You Should Edit Photos and Videos with a Gaming PC
Gaming PCs meet the high-performance specs for tasks like video editing and photo editing.
The Importance of Garbage Collection and TRIM Processes for SSD Performance
Garbage Collection and TRIM optimize your SSD’s NAND. But how do they really work?
What do SSDs do for gaming?
Why are SSDs better for gamers? What Xbox and PS5 owners should know.
How to Make Your Gaming PC Quieter
Is your PC noise disturbing your gaming experience? Here are some causes and how to solve them.
How to Choose the Best RAM for Overclocking
Not all motherboards can overclock the memory. You must also consider XMP vs Plug N Play.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Cloud gaming?
Is your gaming system worth swapping for a Cloud gaming provider? Here are our thoughts.
What is the difference between PCIe Gen 3 and PCIe Gen 4?
PCIe Gen 4 accommodates full bandwidth that is possible with NVMe SSDs tech.
MT/s vs MHz: A Better Measure for Memory Speed
MT/s is the accurate measure for DDR SDRAM memory transfers that happen on both the rising and falling edges of the clock cycle, not MHz.
Top 10 PC Build Mistakes Beginners Make
Decided to build your own PC? These are what we think are the most common PC build mistakes.
The Difference Between Memory and Storage in Gaming
Understand the difference between a storage medium and a gaming PC's memory.
Gaming with Windows 11: What to Expect with the New PC Performance Features
Windows 11 is here! Check out these exciting new PC performance features for gamers.
Windows 11 - Does Your Organization Need to Upgrade or Refresh?
We explore the system requirements needed and the benefits of upgrading rather than replacing.
How to Clean Your PC System
Cleaning your system is not as hard as you might think! Check out our step-by-step guide.
How to Install an Internal 2.5” SSD
Installing an internal SSD is easy and can improve the overall speed of your desktop PC or laptop.
How to Install an M.2 SSD
This is a step-by-step guide on installing an M.2 SSD into a laptop or desktop PC.
The Kingston Workflow Station Makes Things Easy for Content Creators and Video Professionals
Learn how the Kingston Workflow Station can make file transfers out in the field faster for professionals.
Is it better to build or buy a gaming PC?
It seems like gamers would build their own PCs, but are the benefits still worth the time and effort?
The 5 Benefits of SSDs over Hard Drives
SSDs are more durable, reliable, faster, smaller, lighter, silent and more power efficient than traditional hard drives.
Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and memory cards
Are there endurance vs cost benefits between the different types of NAND?
The Difference Between SSD and HDD
Why should you choose an SSD over an HDD? The main factor is better performance from SSDs.
Sustainability, Innovation, and Partnership Series - Episode 2
Join industry experts to discuss how technology partners like Kingston support their business growth and sustainability.
Sustainability, Innovation, and Partnership Series - Episode 1
Industry experts discuss topics like the key pillars of tech relationships, sustainability, and IT optimization.
Should you upgrade your memory or storage for better PC performance?
Do you need to upgrade your memory or storage for your desired PC performance?
How Much Memory Do You Need for Video Editing?
More DRAM means faster PC performance when editing from video, from playback responsiveness to render time. But is 8, 16, 32, or 64GB enough? How much do you need for 1080p, 4K, or 8K?
NVMe vs SATA: What is the difference?
NVMe is the new protocol for flash storage while SATA was hold-over from HDD.
Who Is Responsible for Cyber Security and Privacy?
Cyber security and data privacy are everyone’s responsibility. What are the key considerations?
Kingston SSDs are the best hardware choice for software-defined storage solutions
Learn why the future of business depends on SSD-enabled SDS, and how SSD fits into software-defined storage solutions.
What are the benefits of next-gen 16Gbit DDR4 DRAM?
Planning a new system? Watch this video to learn about the benefits 16Gbit DRAM next-gen technology.
Install more memory in your laptop or desktop PC for a better video conferencing experience
It’s not just internet bandwidth you need when using Microsoft Teams and Zoom. The hardware matters too.
What is the difference between memory and storage?
Understand the difference between a storage medium and a system's dynamic random-access memory.
NAND Flash Technology and Solid-State Drives (SSDs)
Learn about types of NAND in SSDs like SLC, MLC, TLC, QLC, 3D NAND. What is Wear Leveling?
10 Ways to Speed Up a PC Running Windows 10
If you’re finding your PC performance slowing down these tips can help improve your speeds and PC efficiency.
NVMe SSDs in Client Systems
Benefits of NVMe for PC Performance, Gaming, and Content Creation.
6 Ways to Speed Up Your Mac
There are a few ways to speed up a slow iMac or MacBook that doesn’t require any hardware or software upgrades.
Desktop and Laptop Computer Memory
Find out all the basics of laptop and desktop PC memory technology and see why you should trust Kingston.
The Difference Between Enterprise & Client SSD
The differences between SSD classes lies in two components; the processor and the NAND memory.
FAQs for SATA and M.2 SSDs - Kingston Technology
Frequently asked questions around SSD technologies and terms like SATA, M.2, NAND, RAID, NVMe, PCIe, SAS, and keying.
Solid-State Drive Testing 101
Testing is a cornerstone of our commitment to deliver the most reliable products on the market.We perform rigorous tests on all of our products during each stage of production. These tests ensure quality control throughout the entire manufacturing process.
Three signs you need more memory in your computer
If your files don’t open immediately and programs are slow to load, you get an error message or are unable to load several programs at once, your computer may need more memory.
Full Speed Ahead: RAM Upgrades
Learn what to look for when shopping for RAM, or Random Access Memory, including how to determine what type of memory and what capacities your motherboard can support.
What is DDR4 Memory? Higher Performance
Learn how DDR4 delivers faster speeds, reduced power consumption and increased capacity over DDR3.
