3 ways to test SSD speed and performance

If your computer is running slow or lagging behind your daily needs, you need a little upgrade. Most of the time, slow computer performance is caused by slow drives, high memory usage, or lack of cooling. But how to solve the problem without replacing the entire computer?

With that in mind, let’s look at five ways to check the speed of your hard drive or hard drive with some of the best software to check your drive speed.

1. SSD speed test with built-in software

Checking your hardware is relatively easy on most operating systems. Fortunately, with some operating systems, you can test your hardware without downloading any additional software. For example, third-party programs show read and write speeds at once, but this method requires you to manually define them.

Windows

Testing your SSD speed in Windows can be done via the Command Prompt (among many other things!). It is important to run it as an administrator to avoid potential problems.

1. Kind CMD In the Start menu search bar, then right-click and select the best match Run as administrator.
2. Now type the following command: winsat disk -ran -write -drive (name):”.

The parentheses will not be part of the command and ” (name)” drive will usually be replaced by “C”. Typically users have only one hard drive or hard drives, but many use additional drives for storage. You can find the drive name(s) by browsing This PC and can be placed in the search bar as in the previous step.

linux

Linux users can also test the hardware through the built-in software.

1. First you need to go to terminal and open it.
2. Once opened, type the following code between quotes: $” synchronization; dd if=/dev/zero of=tempfile bs=1M count=1024; synchronization“. The number listed will be the write speed of your tested memory device.
3. Because we create a temporary file, the data is cached, which leads to skewed results when trying to test your “read” speeds. If we execute the same command, we will get a skewed result. To get an accurate result, you need to clear the cache of the temporary file using the following command: $ ” sudo /sbin/sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3“.
4. You can then enter this command to see your “read” speeds as shown in the yellow box in the first image above: $ dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024″.

macOS

Finally, if you have a Mac, unfortunately we don’t have a built-in feature to view your hardware specs. Apple has always been tight-lipped about what lies beneath the sleek aluminum body, and it’s no different on the software side. Fortunately, there are still ways to view your device’s performance with the help of some third-party software.

2. Check SSD speed with third-party software

Whether we can test our hardware with or without additional software, there is no need to worry because there are many free programs that can perform the same tasks. Moreover, some of them are cross-platform, which is more convenient for all types of users.

For Windows users, CrystalDiskMark remains one of the most popular programs for measuring the speed of your computer’s drives. With a simple user interface, you can measure your disk speed by clicking “All” in the upper left corner of the program after the installation is complete.

Download: CrystalDiskMark for Windows (Free)

Novabench for MacOS is a good program that can determine your reading and writing speed. Since it’s a third-party app, it’s on the Novabench website, not the App Store. Unfortunately, this is only for Intel processors, so those with Apple’s M1 and M2 chips, otherwise known as Apple’s Silicon chips, are currently out of luck.

Finally, since Linux is an open source software system, it would be counterintuitive for the platform to rely on third-party software. Still, if you need to use third-party software, Novabench offers users several operating systems, including Linux, to test the speed of drives.

Download: Novabench for Windows | mac OS | Linux (Free)

3. Test SSD speed with cross-platform software

For those using multiple operating systems, ATTO Disk Benchmark is cross-platform. It’s technically free, although there is a paid version that gives you access to more features. Nevertheless, the program allows you to evaluate the various hardware components in your computer in addition to reading the speeds of your storage device.

Whether you’re using Windows or macOS, testing the speed of your SSD couldn’t be easier. Click on it to start the test To begin with in the middle of the program. Drop-down menus give you access to certain settings that you can change as you wish. Then the necessary information will be displayed accordingly as shown above.

Download: AttoDiskBenchmark for Windows | macOS (Free)

If AttoDiskBenchmark doesn’t meet your needs, Blackmagic Disk Speed ​​​​​​​​Test is also useful for Windows and Mac users. The software that is readily available on the App Store is mainly designed for Mac users. However, Windows users can also use the software by visiting their website and downloading the latest software update (you can find the links below).

After downloading, a registration screen appears, which is completely optional. Clicking the “Download Only” button in the bottom left corner will install the app, which will be available after you re-download the app. Thanks to its aesthetic interface, running a speed test is as easy as clicking the Start button and letting it analyze.

Download: Blackmagic Disk Speed ​​Test for Windows | macOS (Free)

What if your drive is slow?

As technology advances every day, your computer becomes obsolete quickly. Fortunately, many worn parts can be replaced with newer components, resulting in better performance. While upgrading your memory improves responsiveness, upgrading your SSD can dramatically change your PC’s performance.

Common speeds for SSDs are 300 and 600 MB/s read and write. In some cases, you’ll benefit more from upgrading your storage than upgrading your SSD, especially a PCIe 4.0 SSD. The benefits when upgrading from one SSD to another are minimal because they are already fast (but you will notice a difference between generations of PCIe SSDs). But if you’re upgrading from an old HDD to an SSD, you’ll definitely notice a night-and-day difference like upgrading from the old PCIe standard to the new generation.

Upgrading your storage device to an SSD is a fairly easy task. First, determine if you want NVMe or SSD, but make sure it can be supported on your device. The NVMe port, if present, is a small port that can be overlooked. Not all computers or laptops allow the use of an NVMe drive due to the lack of an available NVMe port.

After selecting the desired device, you will need to transfer data from the original SSD to the new one. It’s true that transferring your data can be crazy, but with a helping hand and some guidance, it doesn’t have to be daunting.

Change your driver for faster speed

With the price of computer parts, upgrading your core components couldn’t be cheaper. One of the least expensive components in the grand scheme of things is your storage device. Depending on the amount of storage you want, SSDs can be found for around a hundred dollars. As discussed above, testing your drive speed is a fairly simple process that can be performed with or without internet access for most operating systems. With a choice of on-board software or third-party software, information is at your fingertips.