Slow NVMe SSD WD PC SN740 SDDPNQD-512G-1006

[liquiduser]

I now have a new HP laptop, and the SSD does not meet the speed specifications of the built-in Western Digital SN740 SDDPNQD. I have a read and write speed of about 1700MB/s, and according to WD, the NVMe can read and write up to 5000MB/s. According to Crystal Disk, only 2 lanes are being used. How can I fix this?

CDInfo:

https://imgur.com/a/o3AP0uB

CDMark:

https://imgur.com/a/X0iDZtW

[zoey7886]

@liquiduser, Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding WD PC SN740 NVMe SSD!  
We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution. 

It looks like your SSD is running on PCIe 3.0 x2 instead of PCIe 4.0 x4, which is limiting its speed. Here’s how you can troubleshoot and potentially fix the issue:

Check BIOS Settings

• Restart your laptop and enter the BIOS (press Esc or F10 during boot).
• Look for PCIe/NVMe settings under Advanced options.
• Ensure the SSD is set to PCIe 4.0 (if available).
• Also, check if there is an option to enable 4 lanes (x4) mode.

Check Laptop Specifications

• Some budget HP laptops limit NVMe SSDs to PCIe 3.0 x2 instead of PCIe 4.0 x4, even if the SSD itself supports higher speeds.
• Check the official HP specs for your model (HP 15-fc0000) to see if the motherboard supports full PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds.

Update BIOS & Drivers

• Visit the HP Support website and check if there’s a BIOS update for your laptop model.
• Update your chipset and storage drivers from the HP or AMD website.
• Update the NVMe driver from Western Digital if available.

Check Power Management Settings

• Open Device Manager → Disk Drives → Right-click on your SSD → Properties.
• Go to the Policies tab and enable Write Caching.
• Under the Power Management tab, disable "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."

Check Windows Power Plan

• Open Control Panel → Power Options.
• Set to High Performance or Ultimate Performance.
• Go to Change Advanced Power Settings → PCI Express → Link State Power Management → Set to Off.

Check Physical Connection

• If your laptop has multiple M.2 slots, try inserting the SSD into another slot (if available).
• Some slots may support only PCIe x2, while others support x4.

Consider a Different SSD or External NVMe Enclosure

• If your laptop is hardware-limited to PCIe 3.0 x2, you won’t be able to reach 5000MB/s.
• If speed is a priority, consider an external NVMe SSD in a USB 4.0 or Thunderbolt 3/4 enclosure.

Let me know if any of these steps help or if you need further assistance! 

Take care, and have an amazing day! 
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going! 

Regards, 

[Raj_05]

Hi @liquiduser, 

We hope you’re doing great.  We just want to send a follow-up message to check how things are and whether if you still need our help. If you still do, we’re just a DM away. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Raj_05

HP Support