How To Change Allocation Unit Size Without Format

What Is The Best Way to Change SSD Cluster Size? Your Guide Is Hither

Updated by Roxanne on Dec 02, 2021 

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Changing the cluster size of a disk is commonly known equally switching the disk allocation unit of measurement size, which is a breeze. Our digital tools are platonic for business owners and domicile users who want to adjust the size of their clusters. And so, what is cluster size? What are the numerous disc formats, and how does our software make cluster size modification stress-free and easy?

What is Cluster Size?

Cluster

You must select a cluster size when formatting a solid-country drive (SSD), difficult disc bulldoze (HDD), SD carte, pollex bulldoze, or whatsoever other storage device. The "Allocation Unit Size" characteristic allows yous to alter the size of a storage device's cluster. How your file systems structure your storage device is adamant past the cluster size. The to the lowest degree amount of storage infinite that a unmarried file tin utilize during its generation and storage is determined past the cluster size.

The cluster size you lot select determines how much RAM is available to shop and concord ane file. The file is subsequently split upward and saved on the storage device in many portions. Files that do not fit inside an even multiple of your chosen cluster size take up extra storage infinite, which is calculated past rounding up to the next even multiple.

A Cluster Size Examples on SSD

If yous relieve a 512-byte file on a segmentation with a 512-byte cluster size, the file will accept up 512 bytes of storage space. Good and then far?

When a 525-byte file is stored on a storage device with a 512-byte cluster size, the file takes upward 1024 bytes of storage space. Because the partitioning is assigning the adjacent multiple (1024) of its 512-byte cluster size to concord your file, it takes up more than than 525 bytes of storage space.

However, for now, the cluster size of a deejay is more than 512, it has more than units as shown here:

Image of disk cluster size

How to Change SSD Cluster Size?

For Windows, various file organisation formats determine how your data are organized. NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT are the three file systems available in Windows. And each file system file requires unlike cluster sizes. Then the best mode to alter an SSD disk cluster size is to alter its file system.

Cluster Size of Different Partition Formats

Let's check the cluster size of unlike partition formats first:

Partition Format	Cluster Size
NTFS	Default allocation size 512 bytes 1024 bytes 2048 bytes 4096 bytes 16 kilobytes 32 kilobytes 64 kilobytes 128 kilobytes 256 kilobytes 512 kilobytes 1024 kilobytes 2048 kilobytes
FAT32	Default allocation size 1024 bytes 2048 bytes 4096 bytes 16 kilobytes 32 kilobytes
exFAT	Default allocation size 2048 bytes 4096 bytes 16 kilobytes 32 kilobytes 64 kilobytes 128 kilobytes 256 kilobytes 512 kilobytes 1024 kilobytes 2048 kilobytes 4096 kilobytes 8192 kilobytes 16384 kilobytes 32768 kilobytes

Note that Windows simply supports FAT32 and NTFS file organisation formats. Therefore, if information technology's an internal SSD disk, you can just select NTFS or FAT32 as its format to switch its cluster. And so how to change the cluster size of your SSD? Cheque the next function, you'll get ii solutions that aid to switch disk cluster size.

Recommended Cluster Size of SSD:Note that the larger unite size can lead to more writes over time, causing more wear and tear on SSD, which is not practiced for its lifespan. So the recommended cluster size for SSD should be the default: 4K.

Method one. Permit EaseUS Sectionalization Chief Aid

At EaseUS, nosotros create technologies that make changing the partition size, cluster size, and recovery procedure on your storage device unproblematic, upfront, and stress-free by using our sectionalisation manager software - EaseUS Partition Master. Nosotros give lightning-fast support and coaching. We even offering a free version for help.

You may now download this software and follow the following guidelines to optimize the SSD cluster size to 4K on your ain.

Stride 1. Select the SSD disk that you want to align, right-click information technology and choose "4K Alignment".

Step two. Get to find task by clicking the "Execute i Operation" button at the top-left corner and click "Utilize". Then, the SSD bulldoze partitions are all 4K aligned with all sectors on information technology.

Method 2. Run Disk Direction to Change Cluster Size

The other method that you lot tin can try is to run Windows Disk Direction and run the format operation so as to switch the cluster size for your SSD. As well, don't format to backup data in accelerate.

Here are the steps:

Stride 1.Correct-click Windows icon and click "Search", typecreate and format hd partition, and click to open Disk Management.

Step 2.On Disk Management, right-click on the partition in SSD disk and select "Format Volume".

Footstep 3.Fix a new format for the SSD book (be it FAT32 or NTFS), and then set the cluster size as 4K, click "OK".

Format partition and set cluster size

Wait for the procedure to complete.

Notes: When y'all complete the formatting, irresolute the cluster size of SSD, you tin can at present restore the backup of files back to the SSD disk.

Changing SSD Cluster Size, Which Is Better? 4K Alignment or Formatting?

Note that on this page, we provided ii ways that help you to conform the SSD cluster size by using EaseUS Partition Master or applying disk direction formatting.

But which 1 is better? For a no-data-loss solution, we suggest y'all pick EaseUS Sectionalisation Master for aid. Its 4K alignment feature makes the process of adjusting SSD cluster size easy and funny. You just need to click the control button, the rest jobs will all exist done by this tool.