Windows 11 rockets SSD performance to new heights with hacked native NVMe driver — up to 85% higher random workload performance in some tests

Microsoft’s introduction of a native performance-boosting NVMe driver for Windows Server 2025 has sparked a wave of excitement for the best SSDs. Resourceful users quickly discovered a method to unlock this powerful feature on standard Windows 11 systems. Early user benchmark results are in, and they reveal outstanding performance leaps—whether on traditional PCs or portable gaming handhelds.

X user Mouse&Keyboard put the new NVMe driver to the test on Windows 11 25H2, paired with the SK hynix Platinum P41 2TB SSD. After enabling the driver, the AS SSD benchmark score soared from 10,032 to 11,344—an impressive 13% boost. The most impressive gains came in random write speeds, with 4K and 4K-64Thrd workloads surging by 16% and 22%, respectively.

Meanwhile, Redditor Cheetah2kkk showcased the performance gains on the Claw 8 AI+ equipped with a high-speed Crucial T705 4TB SSD. While sequential speeds saw moderate improvements, the most dramatic benefits were in random performance—perfectly aligning with Microsoft’s promises to boost IOPS and corroborating earlier user benchmarks. For the Crucial T705, random read speeds climbed by 12%, while random write speeds skyrocketed an incredible 85%.

It would be exciting to see what Optane drives can do with this native NVMe drive since they excel in random performance.

Native NVME Support for Windows 11 25H2 from r/MSIClaw

The NVMe driver finally recognizes NVMe drives for what they are—instead of forcing them to act like legacy SCSI devices. By removing unnecessary command conversions from NVMe to SCSI, Microsoft was able to reduce processing overhead and latency, resulting in higher storage performance.

SCSI came out at a time where spinning disks were a thing. It was obvious that Windows needed a native NVMe driver to be able to take advantage of modern NVMe SSDs, especially those enterprise-level ones.

After 14 years, Microsoft finally delivered native NVMe support to Windows Server. The next pressing question: When, if ever, will mainstream Windows users see this upgrade? While enthusiasts can activate it through registry tweaks, there are notable caveats—most third-party tools, especially popular SSD management software like Samsung Magician or Western Digital Dashboard, aren't yet compatible and could malfunction.

For most everyday users, Microsoft’s native NVMe driver won’t make a noticeable difference—its real advantages shine in enterprise or server environments. That’s why Microsoft prioritized Windows Server, where tasks like databases, virtualization, file servers, and AI or machine learning workloads truly benefit. For now, the feature’s impact on standard or gaming systems remains limited.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.