All the newest models of notebook computers are coming with the fastest 2.5 inch SSD, M.2 SSD and M.2 NVME storage drives. These all have a very small form factor and a very impressive data transfer performance. But all the flash memory devices have a certain number of read/write cycles after which their performance becomes unpredictable.
If you are using Intel memory storage or SSD storage devices, then you can use to Intel Memory and Storage Tool. It is a freely available tool from Intel which can be used to manage Intel Optane solid state drives and memory devices.
The same software comes in both GUI and CLI versions. The GUI version of Intel Memory and Storage Tool it much easier to use. It allows you to view current drive information, update firmware, and perform full diagnostic scans.
The command line version of the tool can be used in scripts for automated tasks.
As we launch this tool, it displays the basic summary about all the Intel memory and storage devices detected on your Windows PC. In addition, it also displays non-Intel SSD and hard disk drives. A separate card is displayed for each of these detected devices.
For all the memory and storage devices, it shows the model number, firmware version, serial number, drive capacity, drive health, and the estimated life remaining. It uses different colors to display the health status using the SMART data – green for good health, orange for warning status and red for critical health.
For the supported Intel storage devices, we can update the firmware using this tool. Moreover, if you want to completely remove all the data from that drive, then we can use the secure erase feature. The secure erase wipes all the data from the selected SSD in just 2-3 minutes.
You can download Intel Memory and Storage Tool from https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29820?v=t.