“How to check what SSD I have” is an essential question if you’ve just bought a new computer or are planning to sell an old one and need the full specs.
Thankfully, there are a few straightforward methods to quickly figure out your SSD brand and speed that work on both desktops and laptops.
Let’s check them all out!
What Is The Difference Between an SSD and an HDD?
First of all, let’s clear up any confusion you may have about the differences between an SSD and an HDD. Well, while they share the same purpose of storing data, SSDs are the newer, better, and more compact technology, as evident in this table:
| SSD | HDD | |
| Speed | Up to 13,000 MB/s | About 500 MB/s |
| Durability | No moving parts = more durable | Not as tough due to moving parts |
| Consumer Size | Up to 15 TB in 2.5” SATA | Up to 20 TB |
| Power Consumption | 2 W | 8 W |
| Lifespan | 5 to 10 years | 3 to 5 years |
| Cost per GB | $0.08 – $0.12 | $0.03 – $0.06 |
As you see, the only appealing aspect of HDDs is their price per GB of storage. That is, at the same price, you would get four times the storage amount with an HDD. However, SSDs are the most noticeable upgrade you could do for your machine.
For that reason, HDDs are mostly used for external storage solutions, such as Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Direct-Attached Storage (DAS). On the other hand, SSDs are employed for all performance-related tasks where speed is crucial.
How to See What SSD I Have?
1. Via Command Line
Arguably, the fastest way to figure out the brand of your SSD is to use a common line program such as PowerShell or Command Prompt:
- Press the Win Button + R to launch ‘Run’;
- Type PowerShell or CMD;
- Type the following command and press ‘Enter’:
- a) wmic diskdrive get caption, firmwarerevision
- Read and write down your SSD model names and their firmware version.
Note: Next to the model name, you’ll also see the amount of storage your SSD(s) offer.
2. Via Disk Management
If you think command lines are bothersome (they aren’t), you can still find the model names of your SSD drives in a few simple clicks:
- Press the Win Button and type disk management;
- Click on ‘Create and format hard disk partitions’;
- a) Windows has updated the program’s name in Windows 11.
- Right-click on the volume you are interested in;
- Navigate to the ‘Hardware’ tab;
- Check the list within for your drive names.
| 📝Note There are other ways to find your volumes’ Properties window. You can also access it by right-clicking on your drives from within Windows Explorer. |
3. Via Device Manager
Another click-only method to see your SSDs model names is via Device Manager:
- Press the Win Button and type device manager;
- Click on the app and navigate to ‘Disk drives’ in the list;
- Open the drop-down menu to find your drive brand and capacity.
| 📝Note If you right-click the drive, you can open its ‘Properties’ window and find extra information within, such as its current driver version. |
4. Via Third-Party Tools
While all the above Windows-native tools give you the name of your drives, installing third-party tools will provide you with much more information. One such lightweight, free-to-use, and very informative program is Speccy, which is very easy to set up and read:
- Download the free Speccy from the official website;
- Install and open the program;
- Navigate to ‘Storage’ in the left-hand side list;
- Retrieve the information you need.
| 📝Note In addition to your drive’s real name, Speccy reveals detailed information about its manufacturer, partitions, capacity, and RAID type. |
How Do I Know If I Have an SSD or an HDD on macOS?
As you may have guessed, finding your device’s specs on your Mac is different from your Windows device, but it can still be done rather quickly:
- Click on the Apple logo and press ‘About This Mac’;
- Press ‘More Info…’ to access the full settings menu;
- Navigate to ‘General’, scroll to the bottom, and click ‘System Report’;
- Scroll through the list and click on ‘Storage’;
- Check out and write down all the information you need.
Unless you have a very old Mac machine, yours will most likely equip an SSD, and if you find it does not offer sufficient storage, you can always purchase an external hard drive.
Bottom Line
Now that you know how to check your SSD’s brand, you can help all your friends who still wonder: “How to see what SSD I have?” After all, it’s an important piece of information that will tell you what any computer system is capable of. Thankfully, you can find your answer within minutes and adjust your price or offer correspondingly.
Timeline Of The Article
Deyan is an avid enthusiast and self-proclaimed fan of the Windows operating system. His passion for discovering new functionalities and hidden gems within Windows drives his insatiable curiosity and fuels his desire to share his findings with others. As an avid writer, Deyan frequently shares his expertise through articles that provide tips and tricks to optimize the Windows experience.