3 ways to test SSD speed and performance

If your computer is running slowly or falling behind your everyday needs, chances are it needs a little upgrade. Most of the time, underperforming computers are the result of slow hard drives, high memory usage, or lack of cooling. But how do we fix this problem without replacing the entire computer?

With that in mind, let's take a look at five ways to test the speed of your hard drive or solid state drive, as well as some of the best applications for testing disk speed.

Method 1: Test the speed of the SSD using the built-in application

For Windows

On Windows, you can test the speed of your SSD from the command prompt (among many other things!). It is important to run as an administrator to avoid any potential problems.

1. In the Start menu search bar, type CMD, right-click Best Match, and then select Run as administrator.

2. Now type the following command: "winsat disk -ran -write -drive (name)".

For example, the following example:

winsat disk -ran -write -drive C

The parentheses are not part of the command, and "(name)" is replaced with your drive, usually "C". Often, users only have one hard drive or SSD, although many people use additional drives for storage. The drive name can be found by browsing to "this computer" or using the search bar, similar to the previous step.

For Linux

Linux users can test the hardware with built-in software.

1. First, navigate to the terminal and open it.

2. Open it and type the following code between the quotes: $ "sync; dd if=/dev/zero of=tempfile bs=1M count=1024; sync". The number displayed is the "write" speed of the device you are testing. 3.

3. Because we have created a temporary file, the data is cached, which will give a skewed result when you try to test your "read" speed. If we run the same command, we will get a skewed result. To get an accurate result, you need to clear the cache in the temporary file with the following command $ "sudo /sbin/sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3″.

4. After that, you can run this command to check your "read" speed as shown in the figure: $ dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024".

For MacOS

If you have a Mac, there's no built-in way to see our hardware specs. Apple has always been careful about what's under the aluminum hood, and it's no different when it comes to software. Fortunately, there are still ways to view your device's performance using some third-party applications.

Method 2: Test SSD speed with a third-party application

Whether we can test our hardware with additional software or not, there is no need to worry because many free software can do the same job. Moreover, some of them are cross-platform, which makes them even more convenient for all types of users.

For Windows users, CrystalDiskMark is still one of the most popular software for measuring your computer's disk speed. Thanks to its simple interface, you can finish measuring your disk speed by pressing "All" in the top left corner of the program after installation.

[WIN] CrystalDiskMark v8.0.4b Download

For MacOS, Novabench is a great program to determine your read and write speeds. Since this is a third-party application, it is not available in the App Store, but can be found on the Novabench website. Unfortunately, it only works with Intel-based processors, so those of you with Apple's M1 and M2 chips (aka Apple's silicon chips) are out of luck for now.

Finally, since Linux is all about open source programs, it would be counterintuitive for the platform to rely on third-party software. However, if you need to use third-party software, Novabench offers services for several operating systems, including Linux, for users to test their disk speeds.

Method 3: Test SSD speed with cross-platform software

For those who use more than one operating system, ATTO Disk Benchmark is cross-platform. This is technically free software, although there is a paid version that gives you access to more features. However, in addition to reading the speed of your storage device, the program also provides benchmarking for various hardware components on your computer.

Whether you're using a Windows operating system or MacOS, testing your SSD speed couldn't be easier. To start the test, click the Start button in the middle of the program. The drop-down menu gives you access to a number of parameters that you can change to your liking.

If AttoDiskBenchmark doesn't meet your needs, Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is also available for Windows and Mac users. The software is easy to find in the App Store and is primarily intended for Mac users. However, Windows users can also take advantage of the software by visiting their website and downloading the latest software updates.

Once downloaded, a registration screen will appear, which is completely optional. Clicking on "Download Only" in the lower left corner will install the program and it will be ready to use after a restart. Thanks to its aesthetically pleasing interface, running the speed test is as simple as pressing the start button and letting it analyze.

What if I have a slow hard drive?

As technology advances, the technology in your computer will soon become obsolete. Fortunately, many outdated components can be replaced with newer ones to improve performance. While upgrading memory can improve responsiveness, upgrading a solid state drive can dramatically change the performance of your computer.

Typical speeds for SSDs are 300-600MB/s, including both read and write speeds. In some cases, upgrading memory can provide more benefits than upgrading SSDs, especially when upgrading to PCIe 4.0 SSDs. The benefits of upgrading from SSDs to SSDs are minimal, mainly because they are already fast (but you will see the difference between different generations of PCIe SSDs). However, you will certainly feel the difference night and day if you go from an older HDD to an SSD, just as you would if you upgraded from an older PCIe standard to a newer generation.

Upgrading your storage device to an SSD is a fairly simple task. First, determine whether you want NVMe or SSD, but make sure your device supports it. The NVMe port is a small port, if available at all. Due to the lack of available NVMe ports, not all computers or laptops will allow NVMe drives.

After you select the device you want, you will need to transfer data from your original SSD to the new one.

Replace your drives for faster speeds

With the price of computer components on the rise, upgrading your key components is no longer cheap. One of the cheapest parts in this grand scheme of things is your storage device. Solid state drives are also getting cheaper, and the purchase depends on the amount of storage you want. As you can see above, testing your hard drive speed is a fairly simple process that can be done with or without Internet access for most operating systems.