Microsoft hails "storage revolution" as it adds native NVMe support to Windows Server 2025

DiskSpd.exe tests show up to 80% improved 4K random read IOPS

News By Efosa Udinmwen published 23 December 2025

(Image credit: Videocardz) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Reddit
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Threads

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

• Windows Server 2025 removes legacy SCSI overhead to unlock NVMe device performance
• Native NVMe enables servers to handle tens of thousands of simultaneous queues
• Enterprise workloads like SQL Server now experience lower latency and higher throughput

Microsoft has introduced native NVMe support in Windows Server 2025, calling it a “storage revolution” due to the potential performance gains it delivers.

Modern NVMe devices, including PCIe Gen5 SSDs and high-end HBAs, can deliver millions of IOPS per disk, far exceeding the capabilities of traditional SCSI-based stacks.

SCSI uses a single-queue model that limits command throughput and was originally designed for older rotational drives.

Performance benefits and real-world impact

NVMe supports tens of thousands of queues, with each queue capable of processing tens of thousands of commands simultaneously, enabling servers to handle much higher workloads efficiently.

Native NVMe removes translation layers that previously routed NVMe I/O through SCSI, reducing processing overhead and latency.

DiskSpd.exe testing shows Windows Server 2025 can achieve up to 80% higher 4K random read IOPS and around 45% fewer CPU cycles per I/O compared to Windows Server 2022.

Enterprise applications reflect these improvements, including SQL Server and OLTP workloads, virtualization with Hyper-V, and high-performance file servers performing large reads, writes, and metadata operations.

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors