How to check SSD speed and performance: 4 ways to accurately test your SSD

Testing SSD speeds with built-in applications

Most operating systems make hardware testing relatively easy. They have built-in tools that allow you to test your hardware without having to download additional programs.

Windows

SSD speed testing on Windows can be performed via the command line. It is important to run the command prompt as an administrator to avoid possible problems.

To do this, type CMD in the search bar of the Start menu, then right-click on the result and select Run as administrator.

Now enter the following command: winsat disk -ran -write -drive [drive_letter].

Replace [drive_letter] with the corresponding letter of your disk. Normally, your Windows files are installed on drive "C" (so local drives on Windows start with C). If you don't know what letter is assigned to your drive, you can find it by going to This PC and checking the drive you want.

How to check SSDs with Windows (photo: MakeUseOf)

Linux

Linux users can use the operating system utilities to test read and write speeds separately:

Open a Linux terminal.

To perform a write test, enter or paste the following command:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/tempfile bs=1M count=1024 conv=fdatasync

To test the disk read speed, you need to perform a little more configuration. The temporary file created in the previous command is cached, which can distort the result. Therefore, you first need to clear the cache by entering the following command:
sudo /sbin/sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3

Now you can test the disk's read speed with this command:
dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024 .

How to check SSD with Linux (photo: MakeUseOf)

MacOS

Finally, if you have a Mac, unfortunately, the system does not have a built-in function for viewing hardware characteristics. Apple has always been tight-lipped in terms of information about the internal contents of its devices, and it's no different at the software level. Fortunately, there are ways to measure device performance using third-party applications.

Testing SSD speed with third-party applications

While the built-in tools of operating systems are useful, there are many third-party applications you can use to check the speed and health of your drive.

CrystalDiskMark

CrystalDiskMark remains one of the most popular tools on Windows for measuring disk speed. Thanks to the program's user-friendly interface, you can measure disk speeds simply by clicking the "All" button.

The first result, which describes sequential read and write speeds, is perhaps the easiest performance indicator to understand.

How to test an SSD with CrystalDiskMark (photo: MakeUseOf)

Novabench

Novabench is a program that measures the performance of the main system components: processor, video card, memory, and storage. Testing the disk speed itself is not always intuitive, so it's easier to click the "Start All Benchmark Tests" button and wait for the full report.

Despite some peculiarities, Novabench's broad cross-platform support more than compensates for these shortcomings.

In addition to Windows support, Novabench also works on macOS. Since it is a third-party program, it is not available in the App Store but can be downloaded from the Novabench website. The program has also been updated to support both Intel-based processors and Apple M1 and M2 chips (also known as Apple Silicon chips).

Finally, since Linux is focused on using open-source software, it would be illogical for the platform to rely on proprietary software. Nevertheless, if you need a disk speed testing tool, Novabench also works on Linux systems.

How to test SSDs with Novabench (photo: MakeUseOf)

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is a handy cross-platform SSD speed test tool available for Windows and macOS. It is easily available in the App Store and is primarily designed for Mac users.

However, Windows users can also use this software by going to the site and downloading the latest updates.

A registration screen will appear on the Windows download page, but this is completely optional. By clicking on "Download Only" in the lower left corner, you can avoid unnecessary steps. After launching the program, just click the "Speed Test Start" button and let the program do its work.

How to check your SSD with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test (photo: MakeUseOf)

What to do if your disk is slow

With the advancement of technology, the hardware in your computer is rapidly becoming outdated. Replacing your old hard drive with a modern SSD is an inexpensive way to significantly improve your computer's performance.

If you are upgrading from an older HDD to an SSD, you will definitely feel the difference. However, keep in mind that in some cases, an improvement in RAM may be a better upgrade for your PC than an SSD.

Also, upgrading from one SSD to another SSD of the same generation may not make a noticeable difference, but you will experience improvements between PCIe generations.

There are a few simple steps to installing a new SSD in your system. First, make sure you know the difference between NVMe, SATA, and M.2 SSDs so you can buy one that's compatible with your device. NVMe is the latest and fastest standard, but older computers or laptops may not have an NVMe port.

After you buy an SSD, you will need to transfer data from the original disk to the new one. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as just copying the files, so the best way is to clone the old disk to the new SSD.

Upgrading the major components of your computer can quickly become complicated and expensive. A less expensive and easier component to upgrade is your data storage.