Intel's SSD Toolbox has been the primary maintenance program for Intel SSDs for almost a decade, but the company is finally winding it down and replacing it with a newer app called the Intel Memory and Storage Tool . Intel silently announced the change by posting a notice on the download page for the old tool .

These tools allow you to maintain your SSD and monitor your SSD's status. For example, you can run firmware updates that can improve SSD efficiency and reliability. You can also see your SSD's overall health, check SMART status to ensure your NAND flash is not corrupted, see storage usage, and also full drive details, like your serial and model numbers.

Intel is replacing the Solid State Toolbox app due to its inability to update firmware on its enterprise SSDs. We gave the Intel Memory and Storage tool a quick test, and it updated the firmware on our own 8TB Intel DC P4510 and 800GB Optane SSD DC P4800X enterprise SSDs. It also updated the firmware for our consumer Optane SSD 905P, so the tool now offers one unified solution for both consumer and enterprise SSDs.

The new tool has a vastly different aesthetic compared to the old tool (pictured below), and it lacks a few features found in the old tool, like secure erase and diagnostic tests. It also doesn't have a system tuner feature. We're reaching out to Intel to see if those important features will be added to the tool.

Intel will stop updating the Solid State Drive Toolbox (pictured above) after September 2020, meaning you can't use it for new firmware updates, so it is highly recommended to migrate to the new tool as soon as possible.