The Tool Desk
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What an SSD game-load benchmark actually measures
A timed load in a live game measures an end-to-end path: storage requests, the game’s asset management, data transfer and decompression, GPU and platform behavior, and the chosen start and stop points. It is useful for answering how long that particular game event takes on that particular setup.
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A storage benchmark runs a defined workload intended to represent selected gaming activities. It can make repeatable drive comparisons, but its score is not a direct measurement of a game’s load time. Likewise, a DirectStorage feature test focuses on a narrower technology path rather than reproducing every part of a live game’s loading process.
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Set up a repeatable comparison
- Choose a specific game event. Use a repeatable load, such as loading the same level or save. Define the timer’s start and stop points and use them for every drive.
- Hold the rest of the test constant. Keep the system, game version, in-game settings, and test procedure the same. Record the SSD model and capacity, how it is connected, and relevant platform details. If DirectStorage is involved, note the relevant configuration and GPU.
- Separate first and subsequent loads. Record whether each run is a first load or a repeat; do not combine runs made under different cache or warm-up conditions without labeling them.
- Repeat the event. Report the individual results or their spread alongside any summary. Do not select only the most favorable run.
- Use the same method on each drive. Change the drive under test, not the load endpoint or timing procedure. Identify any unavoidable differences that could affect the comparison.
These controls are practical testing guidance, not a formal protocol prescribed by the cited tool makers. They make the result easier to reproduce and help readers understand what the comparison covers.
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Choose the right kind of test
Live game timing
Use a live game load when the question is how quickly that game reaches a defined point on the test system. Name the game, event, endpoint, conditions, and whether the result comes from a first or repeated load. Avoid turning one game’s outcome into a general claim about all games or SSDs.
3DMark Storage Benchmark
3DMark Storage Benchmark tests gaming-related activities including loading games, installing files, saving progress, and recording gameplay streams. It is a useful repeatable workload alongside real-game tests, but label its result as a benchmark workload score rather than a measured load time for a particular game. UL’s overview of the DirectStorage feature test provides context on that separate test.
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- EVERY TASK, TURBOCHARGED: Speed past productivity limits. With random read/write speeds up to 1,850K/2,600K IOPS*, enjoy fast game loads, seamless AI apps, and efficient multitasking. Virtually no lag, no limits—just nonstop performance.
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3DMark DirectStorage feature test
UL describes the DirectStorage feature test as a near-best-case scenario. Its description cautions that factors such as a game’s asset-management system and other GPU work during loading are not represented in the same way as in a live game. The result is therefore best understood as a test of the DirectStorage path under the feature test’s conditions, not a universal proxy for end-to-end game loading.
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Why the platform and workload matter
Microsoft’s DirectStorage overview describes the technology’s use of the NVMe storage subsystem. That is only part of an observed load: game workload, PCIe and GPU capabilities, decompression, and latency can also influence the result.
NVIDIA’s developer guidance on GDeflate for DirectStorage discusses benchmarking across different NVMe, PCIe, and GPU capabilities when choosing staging-buffer behavior. It also notes that resource types and compression can change latency characteristics. Consequently, advertised sequential throughput alone cannot predict how much faster a particular game will load.
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- EVERY TASK, TURBOCHARGED: Speed past productivity limits. With random read/write speeds up to 2,200K/2,600K IOPS, enjoy fast game loads, seamless AI apps, and efficient multitasking. Virtually no lag, no limits—just nonstop performance.
- THNK FAST, CREATE FASTER: With random read/write speeds of up to 2,200K/2,600K IOPS, the 9100 PRO SSD fuels seamless AI content creation, swift loads, and smooth gameplay. Work, play, and create at lightning speed.
- SPEED, WHENEVER YOU NEED: From laptops to desktop PCs, experience blazing PCIe 5.0 speeds and up to 8TB of storage. Perfect for video editing, gaming, and creative tasks, with the compatibility to match your device.
- STAY COOL, RUN FAST: Push limits, not temperatures. A 5nm controller boosts power efficiency up to 49% over the 990 PRO SSD, while advanced thermal control keeps performance smooth and reliable.
Use diagnostics to investigate unexpected results
For a DirectStorage workload, Microsoft’s PIX performance-analysis guidance explains that timing captures can show DirectStorage queue events and NVMe I/O request latency. PIX can help developers and advanced testers investigate where time is being spent; it is diagnostic context, not a replacement for timing the actual game event a player cares about.
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- If repeated runs differ, check that first-load and subsequent-load conditions have not been mixed and that the same endpoint and procedure were used.
- If DirectStorage behavior is the focus, record the relevant NVMe, PCIe, and GPU configuration rather than attributing the outcome to the drive alone.
How to present results clearly
For each result, make the comparison auditable: identify the game or benchmark, the exact event or workload, the endpoint and timing method, the drive and connection, the test platform and relevant settings, and whether the run was a first or repeat load. Present live-game times, 3DMark Storage Benchmark results, and DirectStorage feature-test results as separate categories. Do not convert a feature-test bandwidth score into a promised number of seconds or percentage improvement for games.
Quick Recap
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