We need SSDs to run our laptop operating systems, store installations and apps, and back up our precious photos, documents, and multimedia files. However, nothing lasts forever, and the flash memory cells contained within SSDs have a limited lifespan and degrade as data is deleted and written onto them.

Most SSDs have a Terabytes Written (TBW) rating as a guideline for how long they will last, and it's worth keeping track of its usage if you don't want to risk losing your valuable data. Monitoring your drive's health is critical to maintaining optimal laptop performance and preventing degradation and data loss on your old external SSDs. These five ways to check how long your SSD will last will help keep your information safe and ensure you don't have any unwanted failures.

5 CrystalDiskInfo

Free and user-friendly

CrystalDiskInfo is one of the most popular tools for checking your SSD's health because it's free and easy to use. All you need to do is open the app, and it will automatically detect your drives and display their relevant information. It shows the SSD's health status and operating temperature in bold and lists other information, like power-on hours, read error rate, and seek error rate with current, worst, and threshold scores.

It takes just a few seconds to check the status of multiple SSDs. CrystalDiskInfo then displays each SSD's health status and temperature at the top of the page, making it easy to view them at a glance or click on them to view more info. You don't need to settle for a boring interface because CrystalDiskInfo offers green and blue mode settings, font settings, and various themes to customize its appearance.

4 DiskCheckup

A free tool to check your SSD's health

DiskCheckup is another free tool with numerous utilities to check and monitor your SSD's health. The app is perfect for novices because it has a simple interface that displays all your connected drives and lists all the available tools in a single window. It includes SMART info and history tools, device info, a disk self-test, and a hidden areas utility to check your SSD's information.

Testing a drive is as easy as clicking on the device's name and selecting the appropriate tool. DiskCheckup will display the disk name, details like the status, read and write speeds, and other relevant information. When you're done, you can export the drive information and warnings as a text file to keep a history of your SSD's status and details.

3 Aida64 Extreme

Advanced features for a price

Aida64 Extreme is a paid software that offers tools to check your entire system, not just SSDs. It's handy for troubleshooting motherboard, network, display, and other laptop issues and includes useful features like a stability test and benchmark tools for your memory and graphics.

Storage has a dedicated section divided into Windows Storage, Logical Drives, Physical Drives, Optical Drives, ASPI, and SMART. These tools display all the drive information you can ask for, like serial numbers, partition sizes and more. The SMART feature is best for checking your SSD health and shows the remaining lifespan, power-on hours, data units read and written, and other information. You can try Aida64 Extreme's 30-day trial version for free, and then it costs $60 for a three-user home license, or you can try the various business packages.

2 Samsung Magician, and other vendor tools

OEM SSD health and repair tools

Samsung Magician, Seagate SeaTools, Intel Memory and Storage Tool, and other vendor software are excellent for checking your SSD's health. However, they only work with compatible SSDs within the brand, and you'll need multiple software utilities if you have SSDs from various manufacturers. They are still worth using because they are free and have excellent monitoring and recovery utilities.

I use Samsung Magician to manage my storage SSD because it displays all the details I need and offers benchmark tools and diagnostic scans. It also has features like performance optimization and a secure erase function. On the downside, it's incompatible with my primary Intel SSD and forces me to download the Intel Memory and Storage Tool, which offers similar tools.

1 HD Tune Pro

A paid drive management tool

HD Tune Pro is a dedicated drive utility that provides health checks and other great features to ensure your SSD functions correctly. The trial version is valid for 15 days, and then the license costs a $30 one-off fee. It's worth it if you're serious about your SSD's health because it offers numerous testing and monitoring features to prolong its life.

Some testing features include RAW, file benchmarks, and sequential and random speed tests. There's also an error scanner and a monitoring tool to show drive statistics. Drive information and health check utilities are standard, displaying all your SSDs' temperatures, data read and written, and other crucial data. HD Tune Pro works with most SSDs, so you won't have a problem using it on your internal and external drives.

Are these the best ways to check how much life your SSD has left?

These apps provide critical information to determine your SSD's health and lifespan. They include other tools to check your SSD for errors and can prevent data loss by picking up issues before failure. Many of these apps are free; you can't go wrong trying them on your SSD to see how much life it has left.