As you may already be aware, solid-state drives (SSDs) have a limited lifespan due to the limited number of writes that memory cells can handle. This is different from traditional mechanical hard drives. Therefore, it is crucial to know how much useful life your SSD has left, especially if you have been using it for a while. This will allow you to act in time before the SSD becomes unusable. In this article, we will discuss five programs that can help you determine the remaining lifespan of your SSD.
Although a modern SSD can potentially last a lifetime, knowing how much lifespan is left can help you avoid the risk of it going into read-only mode and prevent late reactions to potential problems. By taking a proactive approach and being prepared for the worst-case scenario, you can swap out your SSD for a new one before it fails completely. So let’s explore the available options to determine your SSD’s remaining lifespan.
Aida64, the best to know the life of your SSD
Aida64 is a software that has replaced the well-known Everest software, and it is widely regarded as the most comprehensive program for checking the status of hardware. The software offers a multitude of options for monitoring hardware, including the ability to check the remaining lifespan of an SSD in terms of percentage. To access this feature, simply open the program and navigate to the “Storage -> SMART” section where you will find all the relevant data.
From the screenshot provided, it can be observed that the SSD has been powered on for 243 days (which is equivalent to over 2 years of usage), and approximately 15.5 terabytes of data have been written to it. According to the data reported by the drive, it still has 96% of its life remaining. Therefore, there is no immediate cause for concern regarding the SSD’s health.
With CrystalDisk Info you will have to calculate it
CrystalDisk Info is a commonly used tool to check the health status of any storage drive. However, the program does not provide a precise estimation of the remaining lifespan of an SSD. Nevertheless, users can still estimate it on their own.
The software indicates that 15,860 GB have been written to our SSD, but to determine how much lifespan is left, we need to look at the unit’s TBW data and calculate it ourselves. In this example, the SSD has a durability of 1,400 TBW, and since approximately 16 TB has been written, we can estimate that we have about 90% of writes remaining. It is important to note that various tools may provide different information. In this case, CrystalDisk Info’s calculation is based on the SSD’s specifications rather than the actual data read by the software, making it theoretical.
SSDLife Pro gives you an approximate data
The software named “SSDLife” can give you an estimated figure of how much life your SSD has left based on the time it has been in use and its current wear. This estimate is quite accurate and provides a helpful indication of the health of your SSD.
As shown in the left screenshot, the program is indicating that the unit has approximately 10 years of remaining lifespan (note that this example is different from the previous ones mentioned).
HWiNFO also tells you the remaining life of the SSD
HWiNFO is a popular software among hardware enthusiasts for generating reports of a PC’s hardware and measuring its sensors in real-time. In addition to these features, it can also provide valuable information about the remaining lifespan of an SSD.
To check the remaining life of your SSD using HWiNFO, you need to navigate to the Disk Drives section and look for your SSD. The SSD will be listed under its type, for example, NVMe. In the “Device Status” section, you will find the remaining life time of the SSD, which is calculated in a way similar to Aida64.
Hard Disk Sentinel, the “other option”
HD Sentinel is a reliable program, despite its somewhat outdated interface, that can accurately determine the remaining life of your SSD.
The program HD Sentinel may have an outdated interface, but it still performs well in determining the remaining useful life of an SSD. In addition to showing the health status of the unit as a percentage, it also provides an estimation of the time remaining for the unit’s life (which can be found under “Estimated remaining lifetime”).
