Poor storage disk performance and slow disk speeds are some of the most common reasons your computer might feel sluggish. If your computer isn’t feeling as fast as before, try benchmarking your solid-state drives to make sure they’re still working properly.
Testing SSD Speeds With Built-In Applications
Most operating systems make testing hardware relatively easy. These systems have integrated tools that allow you to test your hardware without downloading an additional program.
Windows
Testing your SSD speeds on Windows can be done through the Command Prompt. It’s important to run the Command Prompt as an administrator to prevent any potential issues.
- Type CMD in the Start Menu search bar, then right-click the Best Match and select Run as Administrator.
- Now, enter the following command: winsat disk -ran -write -drive [drive_letter]
Replace [drive_letter] with your drive’s designation. Your Windows files are commonly installed on the “C” drive (why local drives on Windows start from C), as shown in the example image above. If you don’t know the assigned letter for your drive, you can find it by navigating to This PC and checking out the drive you want to scan.
Linux
Linux users can use the operating system’s utilities to benchmark read and write speeds separately:
- Open a Linux terminal.
- To run a write test, type or paste the following command: dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/tempfile bs=1M count=1024 conv=fdatasync
- To test your disk’s read speed next, we need a little more setup. The temporary file we created in the previous command is cached, giving you a skewed result. So, you need to clear the cache beforehand by entering the following: sudo /sbin/sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3
- Now you’re ready to test your disk’s read speed with this command: dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024
macOS
Lastly, if you have a Mac, unfortunately, there is no built-in feature to look at our hardware specifications. Apple has always been discreet about what’s underneath the shiny aluminum body and is no different on the software side of things. Luckily, there are still ways to display your device’s performance with the help of some third-party applications.
Testing SSD Speeds With Third-Party Applications
While the operating system integrated tools are handy, there are heaps of third-party applications you can use to check your storage drive speeds and health.
CrystalDiskMark
CrystalDiskMark remains one of the most popular tools on Windows to measure disk speeds. Courtesy of the program’s user-friendly interface, measuring your disk speeds can be accomplished by simply pressing the All button.
The first result, which describes the sequential read and write speed, might be the easiest measure of performance to understand.
Download: CrystalDiskMark for Windows (Free)
Novabench
Novabench is a program that measures the performance of your system’s core components: CPU, GPU, memory, and storage. Running the disk speed test alone isn’t very intuitive to do, so it’s easier to just hit Start All Benchmark Tests and wait for the full report.
Quirks aside, Novabench’s wide cross-platform support more than makes up for it.
In addition to support for Windows, Novabench also runs on macOS. Since it’s a third-party program, it’s not available in the App Store but is available on Novabench’s website. The tool has also been updated to support both Intel-based processors and Apple’s M1 and M2 Chip (otherwise known as Apple’s Silicon chips).
Lastly, since Linux is all about open-source programs, it would be counterintuitive for the platform to rely on proprietary software. Nevertheless, if you need a benchmarking tool to test disk speeds, Novabench also works on Linux systems.
Download: Novabench for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is a handy cross-platform SSD speed testing tool, available for Windows and macOS. Readily available on the App Store, the software is predominantly for Mac users. However, Windows users can also utilize the software by navigating to their website and downloading the latest software update (you can find links below).
On the Windows download page, a registration screen will pop up, but it’s completely optional. Clicking Download Only in the lower left corner will let you skip the hassle. Once you launch the program, it’s as easy as pressing Speed Test Start and letting it do its magic.
Download: Blackmagic Disk Speed Test for Windows | macOS (Free)
What to Do if You Have a Slow Drive
As technology progresses, the hardware in your computer becomes dated quickly. Upgrading an old drive to a modern SSD is an inexpensive way to drastically enhance the performance of your computer.
If you’re upgrading from an older HDD to an SSD, you’ll certainly feel a night-and-day difference. However, be aware that in some cases, RAM might be the best upgrade for your PC over an SSD. Also, the benefits may be minimal when upgrading from an SSD to another SSD from the same generation, but you’ll see a difference between PCIe generations.
Installing a new SSD into your system only takes a few steps. First, make sure you know the difference between NVMe, SATA, and M.2 SSDs, so you can purchase one supported by your device. NVMe is the newest and fastest standard, but older computers or laptops might not have an NVMe port.
After buying an SSD, you’ll need to transfer the data from your original drive to the new one. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as copying the files over, so the best practice is to clone the old drive to the new SSD.
Upgrading your computer’s main components can get complex and pricey quickly. A less expensive and easier component to upgrade is your storage device. Testing your disk speeds is a rather straightforward process; with the software above, the information is at your fingertips.