3 Ways to Test SSD Speed & Performance
In this article, we’ll provide you with different methods to test your solid-state drive speed, which allows you to identify if slower disk speeds are the reason your computer is slowing down.
1. Testing SSD Speeds With Built-In Applications
Test your device is simple on the majority of operating systems. For certain operating systems, it is possible to are able to test the hardware you have without the necessity to download additional software. Third-party programs can display the speed of writing and reading simultaneously however you need to be able to figure them out manually using this manner.
Windows
On Windows Testing your SSD speed ( among many other things!) can be accomplished using the Command Prompt. It is crucial to execute the command as an administrator in order to avoid any issues that could arise.
- Enter CMD in the Start Menu search bar, then right-click on the Best Match and choose Run as Administrator..
- Then, type your command as follows: ” winsat disk -ran -write -drive (name):”.
The parentheses are not an element of your command in addition ” (name)” will be replaced by the drive’s name, usually “C”. In most cases, users only have one main HDD or SSD but many also have additional drives to store data. Its name(s) is found when you navigate through the computer and also by using the search bar as in the earlier step.
Linux
Linux users are also able to evaluate hardware using integrated software.
- In the beginning, you must go to the terminal and start it.
- When it’s open, you can type the following code inside the quotation marks ” sync; dd if=/dev/zero of=tempfile bs=1M count=1024; sync“. The number displayed will represent the “write” speed of your checked storage device.
- Since we have created a temporary file the data is cached leading to a different result when trying to determine speed “read” speeds. If we tried to execute the same command again, we’d see a distorted result. This is why you should clean the cache of the temporary file with this command ” sudo /sbin/sysctl -w VM.drop_caches=3“.
- After that, you can enter this command to determine the “read” speeds, as illustrated in the yellow box in the image above” $ “dd” if=tempfile of=/dev/null, count=1024″.
macOS
If you own a Mac as a lot of users do, you don’t have an integrated feature that allows us to review our hardware specifications. Apple has always kept a low profile about the specs that are hidden beneath its shining aluminum body and is similar to the software aspect of things. There are, however, methods to monitor the performance of your device with other programs.
2. Testing SSD Speeds With Third-Party Applications
When we can choose for testing the hardware using or without additional software, there’s no reason to worry since there are plenty of freeware applications that accomplish exactly what we want. Additionally, some are cross-platform, making them easier for all kinds of users.
For Windows users, there is an excellent program you can use–CrystalDiskMark. This program lets you determine the speed of the disks on your PC. This can be done by pressing “all” after installing the software.
If you are running macOS, Novabench is an excellent program that will be able to determine the speed at which you write and read. Because it is an external program, it does not appear accessible on the App Store, but it is available on Novabench’s site. Unfortunately, it is exclusively for Intel-based processors which means that those who have the latest M1 chip from Apple aren’t going to be able to use it.
Additionally, since Linux revolves around open source applications, it’s odd for Linux to depend on third-party software. However, if you are feeling that you need to utilize other software from third parties, Novabench is available for Linux users to test their speed.
- Download: Novabench for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)
3. Testing SSD Speeds With Cross-Platform Software
For users who run multiple operating systems, ATTO Disk Benchmark is cross-platform. It’s technically freeware but there’s a paid version that grants access to additional features. The program still lets you test a range of hardware components in your computer apart from simply reading the speed of your storage device.
No matter if you’re using Windows OS or macOS, testing your SSD speeds could not be more simple. To begin the test simply select the Start button at the top of the application. In the dropdown menus, there are certain parameters that can be altered to suit your preferences as well as the hardware. In the next step, as you can see the information you want to display will be displayed in the appropriate manner.
- Download: AttoDiskBenchmark for Windows | macOS (Free)
What to Do if You Have a Slow Drive?
As technology advances, each day, technology inside your computer can become outdated quickly. Fortunately, many of those components that are outdated can be replaced with more modern components, leading to improved performance. Although upgrading your memory may enhance the speed of your computer as well as speed up your SSD will drastically alter how you use your PC.
The typical speeds for SSDs SSD can range from 300-600 MB/s for both write and read speeds. In some instances, you’ll reap more benefits from upgrading memory rather than upgrading your SSD. There are no benefits to upgrading from SSD to SSD particularly since SSDs are already speedy. However, if you switch moving from the older HDD and an SSD you’ll notice the difference, just as when you upgrade the PCIe standard from older versions to a more recent generation.
Upgrade the storage system to SSD is a simple job. Decide if you’d like an SSD or NVMe However, be certain that it is compatible with your device. There are some laptops and computers that do not permit the use of NVMe drives because they lack an access port.
When you’ve decided on the type of device you’d like to use after which you must transfer data from your existing SSD to a different one. Although it’s true that transferring your data is an unpleasant process,, with the help of this HDD to SSD guide you shouldn’t have to be as troublesome as it sounds.
Switch Out Your Drive for Faster Speeds
The cost of computer components in recent years it is clear that upgrading your main components isn’t at the same cost. One of the cheapest elements in the plan of the things is the storage device. SSDs can be purchased at a cost of around $100 or even two, based on the storage capacity you need. As you can see the process of testing your disk’s speed is fairly simple and is possible using internet access or not on most operating systems. With the option of either the onboard software or a third-party program, the data is available easily accessible.
