3 Ways to Test SSD Speed & Performance

If your machine is moving slow aliases lagging down your regular needs, there's a bully chance you request a insignificant upgrade. Most commonly, poorly performing computers are owed to slow disk speeds, precocious representation usage, aliases a deficiency of cooling. But really tin we reside nan rumor without replacing nan full computer?

With that successful mind, let's look astatine 5 ways to trial your difficult disk aliases solid-state thrust speeds pinch immoderate of nan champion applications for testing your disk speeds.

1. Testing SSD Speeds With Built-In Applications

Testing your hardware is comparatively easy connected astir operating systems. Luckily connected immoderate operating systems, you tin trial your hardware without downloading an further program. For example, third-party applications will show publication and constitute speeds astatine once, but you must manually fig them retired successful this method.

Windows

On Windows, testing your SSD speeds tin beryllium done done nan Command Prompt (among galore different things!). It is important to tally this arsenic an administrator to forestall immoderate imaginable issues.

1. Type CMD successful nan Start Menu hunt bar, past right-click nan Best Match and prime Run arsenic Administrator.
2. Now, type successful nan pursuing command: "winsat disk -ran -write -drive (name):".

The parentheses will not beryllium portion of nan command, and "(name)" will beryllium replaced pinch your drive, commonly "C". Typically, users will only person a azygous HDD aliases SSD, though galore usage further drives for retention purposes. The disk name(s) tin beryllium recovered by navigating done This PC and tin beryllium located done nan hunt bar, akin to nan erstwhile step.

Linux

Linux users tin besides trial hardware done integrated software.

1. First, you request to navigate to nan terminal and unfastened it.
2. Once it's opened, type successful nan pursuing codification successful betwixt nan quotations: $ "sync; dd if=/dev/zero of=tempfile bs=1M count=1024; sync". The number shown will beryllium nan "write" velocity of your tested retention device.
3. Because we created a impermanent file, nan information is cached, resulting successful a skewed consequence erstwhile you effort to trial your "read" speeds. If we were to tally nan aforesaid command, we would get a skewed result. To get an meticulous result, you request to clear nan cache from nan impermanent record utilizing nan pursuing command: $ "sudo /sbin/sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3".
4. After this, you tin type successful this bid to spot your "read" speeds, arsenic shown successful nan yellowish container successful nan first image above: $ dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024".

macOS

Lastly, if you person a Mac, unfortunately, location is nary built-in characteristic to look astatine our hardware specifications. Apple has ever been discreet astir what's underneath nan shiny aluminum assemblage and is nary different connected nan package broadside of things. Luckily, location are still ways to show your device's capacity pinch nan thief of immoderate third-party applications.

2. Testing SSD Speeds With Third-Party Applications

Whether we tin trial our hardware pinch aliases without other software, location is nary request to fret arsenic galore freeware applications tin execute nan aforesaid tasks. Furthermore, immoderate are cross-platform, making it moreover much convenient for each types of users.

For Windows users, CrystalDiskMark remains 1 of nan astir celebrated package to measurement nan disk speeds of your computer. Courtesy of its simplistic personification interface, measuring your disk speeds tin beryllium accomplished by pressing "All" successful nan apical near area of nan programme upon installation completion.

Download: CrystalDiskMark for Windows (Free)

For macOS, Novabench is simply a bully programme that tin place your publication and constitute speeds. Since this is simply a third-party program, this is not connected nan App Store but tin beryllium recovered connected Novabench's website. Unfortunately, this is only for Intel-based processors, truthful those pinch Apple's M1 and M2 Chip, different known arsenic Apple's Silicon chips, are retired of luck for now.

Lastly, since Linux is each astir open-source programs, it would beryllium counterintuitive for nan level to trust connected third-party software. Still, if you request to usage third-party software, Novabench serves aggregate operating systems, including Linux, for users to trial their disk speeds.

Download: Novabench for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)

3. Testing SSD Speeds With Cross-Platform Software

For those who usage much than 1 operating system, ATTO Disk Benchmark is cross-platform. This is technically freeware, though location is simply a paid type that gives you entree to much features. Still, nan programme gives you nan expertise to benchmark a assortment of your hardware components connected your machine speech from conscionable reference your retention device's speeds.

Whether you're utilizing a Windows OS aliases macOS, testing your SSD speeds couldn't beryllium immoderate simpler. For nan trial to start, click Start successful nan mediate of nan program. The dropdown menus springiness you entree to immoderate parameters that tin beryllium changed to your liking. Then, arsenic shown above, nan desired accusation will beryllium displayed accordingly.

Download: AttoDiskBenchmark for Windows | macOS (Free)

If AttoDiskBenchmark doesn't do what you need, Blackmagic Disk Speed Test besides serves some Windows and Mac users. Readily disposable connected nan App Store, nan package is predominantly for Mac users. However, Windows users tin besides utilize nan package by navigating to their website and downloading nan latest package update (you tin find links below).

After downloading, a registration surface will look that is wholly optional. Clicking "Download Only" successful nan little near area will instal nan program, which will beryllium disposable aft a restart. Courtesy of its aesthetically pleasing interface, moving a velocity trial is arsenic easy arsenic pressing nan Start fastener and letting it analyze.

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

What to Do if You Have a Slow Drive?

As exertion progresses each day, nan exertion successful your machine becomes dated quickly. Luckily, galore parts that go dated tin beryllium replaced pinch newer components, resulting successful amended performance. While upgrading your representation tin amended responsiveness, upgrading your SSD tin drastically alteration nan capacity of your computer.

Common speeds for an SSD are anyplace from 300-600MB/s for some publication and constitute speeds. In immoderate cases, you'll reap much benefits from upgrading your memory than upgrading an SSD, especially to a PCIe 4.0 SSD. The benefits are minimal upgrading from SSD to SSD, particularly because they are accelerated already (but you will spot a quality betwixt PCIe SSD generations). But from an older HDD to an SSD, you'll surely consciousness a nighttime and time difference, arsenic will you upgrading from an older PCIe modular to a newer generation.

Upgrading your retention instrumentality to an SSD is simply a beautiful easy task. First, find whether you want an NVMe aliases SSD, but beryllium judge it tin beryllium supported connected your device. The NVMe port, if available, is simply a mini larboard that tin spell undetected. Not each computers aliases laptops let nan usage of an NVMe thrust owed to nan deficiency of an disposable NVMe port.

After selecting nan instrumentality you want, you will request to transportation information from your original SSD to a caller one. Admittedly, transferring your information tin beryllium infuriating, though it shouldn't beryllium tedious with a helping manus and immoderate guidance.

Switch Out Your Drive for Faster Speeds

With nan value of machine parts, upgrading your main components tin nary longer beryllium done connected nan cheap. One of nan cheaper components successful nan expansive strategy is your retention device. SSDs tin beryllium recovered for a 100 dollars aliases so, depending connected nan retention size you want. As shown above, testing your disk speeds is simply a alternatively easy process and tin beryllium done pinch aliases without net entree for astir operating systems. With nan prime of onboard package aliases third-party, nan accusation is astatine your fingertips.