S&M Computers - FAQ

Should I De-fragment my Solid State Drive?

You should not defragment SSD drives. What is more, defragmenting an SSD can indeed be detrimental to the drive’s health, but this is a long-term, rather than short-term issue.

Without getting too technical for what needs only to be a short answer, SSDs employ a technique called wear-leveling to ensure that all the data-storing areas of the drive are used evenly over the life of the device. Running a defragmentation tool – such as Windows’ own Disk Defragmenter – disrupts this drive-managed wear-leveling, meaning some storage areas end up being used more than others. The result is that the drive could fail earlier than would ordinarily be expected.

Should I clean dust from the Computer?

Cleaning dusty computers and components is a sure-fire way of keeping your electronics in working order. Dust and debris can cut down the life of your electronics and cause internal damage to fans and motherboards that may be partially exposed. Removing this on a regular basis ensures that your computer will run as it was intended.