One area where the NVMe driver delivered equal performance gains was in processor usage, regardless of whether the operation was sequential read or write.
Microsoft promises to nearly double Windows storage performance after forcing slow software-accelerated BitLocker on Windows
First PCIe 6.0 SSD enters mass production with 28GB/s speeds, 5.5 million IOPS, and liquid cooling
Modern NVMe SSD meets vintage PCI slot in quirky experiment — M.2 drive shows storage speeds worth dying for back in the '90s
For sequential reads, 64K and 128K operations reduced processor activity by 7.78% and 12%, respectively. Sequential writes reflected similar gains, with 64K and 128K writes requiring 12.66% and 11.1% fewer processor resources.
Microsoft’s highly-awaited NVMe driver is a crucial update that the company should have arguably launched years ago. For almost a decade and a half, Windows users have been limited by Microsoft’s outdated storage stack, and it has been evident that it has struggled to keep pace with advances in SSD technology. With PCIe 5.0 SSDs delivering unprecedented performance and PCIe 6.0 drives on the horizon, the demand for a modern storage stack has never been greater.
The native NVMe driver (nvmedisk.sys) is in both Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11 25H2. Despite its presence, Microsoft doesn't enable the driver by default. Instead, it operates as an opt-in feature that Windows users need to enable via specific registry changes. The need for broader compatibility and support from third-party vendors influences Microsoft’s decision to keep the native NVMe driver as opt-in for now.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News , or add us as a preferred source , to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.
Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom\u2019s Hardware. Although he loves everything that\u2019s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-18/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Zhiye Liu News Editor, RAM Reviewer & SSD Technician Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
ktosspl Welcome to 2014, windows. Linux has native clean io stack since version 3.3 without any legacy SCSI translation layer… Reply
palladin9479 ktosspl said: Welcome to 2014, windows. Linux has native clean io stack since version 3.3 without any legacy SCSI translation layer.. Windows doesn't have a SCSI translation layer, just the author explaining it the best they can The NT storage API only supported a single queue per disk device. NVMe supports multiple queues and acts more like RAM then disk storage. For a long time the Linux kernel also only supported a single queue per disk device. Not long ago I was having to balance virtual workloads across multiple LUNs for that precise reason. Reply
Darkbreeze In computing native generally means "by default" or "without needing extra steps". If a registry hack is still required for this to work, then it is not native. Reply
wakuwaku Darkbreeze said: In computing native generally means "by default" or "without needing extra steps". If a registry hack is still required for this to work, then it is not native. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_(computing) No it doesn't, only YOU think of it that way. I can guarantee it. Go ahead and make a poll. The general public and nerds will all agree with the above wiki, as we always had since we learned about computing. palladin9479 said: Windows doesn't have a SCSI translation layer, just the author explaining it the best they can Erm, yes it does? The Windows devs themselves explain it when posting about the new native NVME support on their official blog. Are you telling me either you know something that the devs themselves don't? Maybe you know that there is actually real MAGIC working underneath? Or are those devs lying about a non existent translation layer? Have a quote by a Windows dev from Microsoft: This improvement comes from a redesigned Windows storage stack that no longer treats all storage devices as SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) devices—a method traditionally used for older, slower drives. By eliminating the need to convert NVMe commands into SCSI commands, Windows Server reduces processing overhead and latency. If you convert commands from A to B, that is a translation layer. Further down the same post: With Native NVMe in Windows Server 2025, the storage stack is purpose-built for modern hardware— eliminating translation layers and legacy constraints The dev clearly calls it a translation layer. What more do you want? And I know you are lazy to search old Tom's article to get the link, like how you are lazy to read the article before commenting, so here you go: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windowsservernewsandbestpractices/announcing-native-nvme-in-windows-server-2025-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-storage-p/4477353 Reply
CrazyCarrot911 It works well on my machines that I tested it on for a few months but the BIG drawback is that most if not all Backup Software won't see your drives in Windows, so no backup the usual way and most software working with drives will also not see your drives. If you can live with that, go for it, it's 3 reg keys that you can enable/disable as you like. I have them disabled for now as I want a backup, every day with my Acronis Cyber Protect Advanced Suite — which doesnt see the drives if in NVMe mode. Reply
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/new-windows-native-nvme-driver-benchmarks-reveal-transformative-performance-gains-up-to-64-89-percent-lightning-fast-random-reads-and-breakthrough-cpu-efficiency#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/subscription
- Jensen Huang set to receive $4 million bonus from Nvidia, 0.002% of his $164 billion net worth — a small incentive for one of the richest people on earth
- This brilliant Hoto electric screwdriver is down to a record-low £28.48 in the Amazon UK Spring Sale — 12-bit precision kit with USB-C charging is great for PC
- NVIDIA Advances Autonomous Networks With Agentic AI Blueprints and Telco Reasoning Models
- New SemiAnalysis InferenceX Data Shows NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra Delivers up to 50x Better Performance and 35x Lower Costs for Agentic AI
- March Into the Cloud With 15 New Games Coming to GeForce NOW
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.