Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox 3.1.9

Overview

The Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox is designed to help owners of an Intel Solid-State Drive (known as Intel SSDs) get the most out of their device.

The software will display the current drive information to break down all the major facts about the product. This includes the model number, its storage capacity and currently installed firmware version (firmware is software that helps the SSD drive function). The drive health can be assessed and this information is also shown. Along with this is a rough estimate of the life remaining for the drive based on its age and past usage. SMART attributes can also be accessed along with device information to correctly identify it.

The performance of the Intel SSD can be improved using the Trim functionality whether the device is being used as a standalone one or is in a RAID 0 configuration (Trim on RAID 0 is not possible when using Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012).

Notifications about new Intel SSD Toolbox software versions can be displayed for Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems. The firmware can be updated for the Intel SSD when a new version has been released.

Diagnostic scans can be performed to verify the read and write capabilities of the Intel SSD drive. The check can be a quick one or a full scan. A tuning method can be used to optimize the power efficiency and balance out the endurance of the SSD drive.

For the more technical view, locate the key system information and hardware configuration setting details like the controller name, driver versions, chipset and central processing unit.

With users who are selling their computer and need to wipe the SSD, there is a Secure Erase function for use on a secondary Intel SSD to remove data safely from the SDD.

Installation

The installation went as planned without any issues.

No malicious content was included with the setup package.

Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox requires Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Interface

The interface has a wide blue Intel heading.

The user is given the choice to pick a drive.

Below the choice of drives, there are five gray buttons to choose from:

1. Intel SSD Management Tools
2. View Drive Information
3. Check SMART Attributes
4. Run Fast Diagnostic Scan
5. Run Full Diagnostic Scan

Within the Intel SSD Management Tools includes The Intel SSD Optimizer and System Configuration Tuner both of which are likely to come in handy.

Pros

• View details information about the Intel SSD drive including model number, capacity and firmware, drive health, drive life estimate, SMART attributes and device identification information.
• Optimize SSD performance with the Intel SSD Optimizer
• Tweak the Intel SSD with the System Configuration Tuner
• Verify SMART attributes
• Run a fast diagnostic scan looking for any issues with the SSD
• Run a full diagnostic scan to accurately verify any problems found with the fast scan
• Update when new Intel SSD firmware is released
• Secure Erase can wipe data completely on a secondary Intel SSD

Cons

None.

Alternatives

SSDLife Pro, SsdReady, SSD-Z.

Conclusion

Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox is a useful tool for any owners of Intel SSD drives. The software can help to update the firmware, confirm device specifics and run a variety of tests on performance.