Native Command Queuing

Native Command Queuing (NCQ) is a technology used in modern hard drives and SSDs that optimizes how data requests are handled. When your computer asks for multiple pieces of data, NCQ allows the drive to analyze and reorder these requests internally, processing them in the most efficient sequence. This reduces unnecessary movement of the drive’s read/write head, speeds up data transfer, and improves overall performance, especially during multitasking or heavy data access. Essentially, NCQ helps the storage device work smarter by managing multiple tasks efficiently, leading to faster and more responsive system operation.