If your computer is running slowly or lagging behind your daily needs, there's a good chance you need a minor upgrade. Most commonly, poorly performing PCs are due to slow disks, high memory usage, or lack of cooling. But how do we fix this without replacing the whole 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 apps for testing disk speed.
Method 1: Test the speed of SSD with the built-in application
Testing your hardware is relatively easy on most operating systems. Fortunately, on some operating systems, you can test your hardware without downloading an additional program. For example, third-party apps will show read and write speeds all at once, but you'll have to figure them out manually that way.
Windows system
On Windows, testing the speed of your SSD can be done from the command prompt (and many other things!). It is important to run as administrator to prevent any potential problems.
CMD test SSD speed
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Type CMD into the start menu search bar, then right click on the best match, select run as administrator.
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Now, type the following command. "winsat disk -ran -write -drive (name)".
For example the following example:
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winsat disk -ran -write -drive C |
The brackets will not be part of the command, "(name)" will be replaced with your drive, usually "C". Typically, users only have a single HDD or SSD, although many use additional drives for storage. The disk name can be found by browsing "This PC" or through the search bar, similar to the previous step.
Linux system
Linux users can also test the hardware through the integrated software.
Linux test SSD speed
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First, you need to navigate to Terminal and open it.
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After opening, enter the following code between the quotes: $ "sync; dd if=/dev/zero of=tempfile bs=1M count=1024; sync". The number shown will be the "write" speed of the storage device you tested.
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Because we created a temporary file, the data is cached, which can lead to skewed results when you try to test the speed of your "reads". If we run the same command, we get a skewed result. In order 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".
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After this, you can enter this command to see your "read" speed as shown: $ dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024" .
macOS
If you have a Mac, unfortunately, there is no built-in feature to view our hardware specs. Apple has always been careful about what's under the aluminum body, and it's no exception when it comes to software. Fortunately, there are still ways to display your device's performance with the help of some third-party apps.
Method 2: Test the speed of the SSD with a third-party application
Whether or not we can test our hardware with additional software, there is no need to worry, as many free software can perform the same task. Also, some are cross-platform, which is more convenient for all types of users.
For Windows users, CrystalDiskMark remains one of the most popular software for measuring your computer's disk speed. Due to its simple user interface, after the installation is complete, the measurement of the disk speed can be completed by pressing "All" in the upper left corner of the program.
Green free hard disk detection tool CrystalDiskMark Chinese version
For macOS, Novabench is a great program to identify your read and write speeds. Since this is a third-party program, it's not on the App Store, but it can be found on Novabench's website. Unfortunately, this only works with Intel-based processors, so those using 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 counter-intuitive for the platform to rely on third-party software. Still, if you need to use third-party software, Novabench serves several operating systems, including Linux, for users to test their disk speed.
Method 3: Test the speed of SSD with cross-platform software
For those who use more than one operating system, ATTO Disk Benchmark is cross-platform. This is technically freeware, although there is a paid version that gives you access to even more features. However, in addition to the speed at which storage devices are read, the program also provides benchmarks for various hardware components on your computer.
Whether you're using Windows or macOS, testing the speed of your SSD couldn't be easier. To start the test, click "Start" in the middle of the program. A drop down menu lets you access some parameters, which can be changed 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 on the App Store, mainly for Mac users. However, Windows users can also take advantage of the software by navigating to their website and downloading the latest software update.
After downloading, a registration screen will appear, which is completely optional. Clicking "Download Only" in the lower left corner will install the program, and it will be ready to use after a reboot. Thanks to its beautiful interface, running a speed test is as easy as pressing the start button and letting it analyze.
What to do if you have a slow hard drive
As technology continues to advance, the technology in your computer can quickly become obsolete. Fortunately, many obsolete components can be replaced with newer ones for better performance. While upgrading your RAM can improve responsiveness, upgrading your SSD can drastically change your computer's performance.
Common speeds for SSDs are 300-600MB/s, including read and write speeds. In some cases, you will benefit more from upgrading your memory than upgrading your SSD, especially if you upgrade to a PCIe 4.0 SSD. The benefit of upgrading from SSD to SSD is minimal, especially since they're already fast (but you'll see differences between different generations of PCIe SSDs). However, going from an old HDD to an SSD, you'll definitely feel the difference night and day, just like when you're upgrading from an old PCIe standard to a new generation.
Upgrading your storage to an SSD is a fairly easy task. First, decide whether you want NVMe or SSD, but make sure your device can support it. If anything, the NVMe port is a small one. Not all computers or laptops allow the use of NVMe drives due to the lack of available NVMe ports.
After selecting the device you want, you will need to transfer the data from your original SSD to the new one.
Swap out your drives for faster speeds
With the price of computer components rising, upgrading your major components is no longer cheap. One of the cheapest parts in the grand scheme of things is your storage device. SSDs can be found for around three hundred, depending on the size of storage you want. As shown above, testing your disk speed is a fairly simple process that can be done with or without internet access for most operating systems.