3 Ways to Check SSD Speed on a Laptop or PC

 Does your computer still feel slow even though you are using an SSD? It's time to check the speed of your SSD to see how well it is performing. In this post, we will share with you how to check SSD speed.

If your computer is running slow while you're using it, there's a good chance you need some minor upgrades. Most commonly, underperforming computers are caused by slow disk speeds, high memory usage, or lack of cooling. But how can we solve this problem without replacing everything?

In this guide, we will show you how to speed test your SSD or hard disk, which will allow you to determine if slow disk speed is slowing down your computer.

1. Check SSD Speed With Default Applications

Testing hardware performance is relatively easy on most operating systems. Fortunately on some operating systems, we can test hardware without the need to download additional programs. Third-party applications will display the read and write speed together, but you have to find out manually in this method.

windows

On Windows, testing SSD speed can be done via the Command Prompt. It's important to run this as an administrator to prevent potential problems.

Check SSD Speed in Windows Without a Program

1. Type CMD in the Start Menu search bar, then right-click the most appropriate option and select Run as Administrator.

2. Now, type the following command: “winsat disk -ran -write -drive (drive_name):”.

The brackets will not be part of the command, and "(name)" will be replaced with your drive, usually "C". Typically, users will only have the main HDD or SSD, although many use additional drives for storage purposes. The disk name can be found by navigating through This PC and can be found via the search bar, similar to the previous step.

Linux

Linux users can also test hardware through the integrated software. Here's how to check SSD on Linux:

Check SSD Speed in Linux Without a Program

1. First, you need to navigate to the terminal and open it.

2. Once opened, type the following code between the quotes: $ “sync; dd if=/dev/zero of=tempfile bs=1M count=1024; sync“. The number displayed will be the "write" speed of your tested storage device.

3. Since the admin creates temporary files, the data is cached, resulting in skewed results when you try to test the “read” speed. If we run the same command, we will get skewed results. So, you need to clear cache from temporary files using the following command: $ “sudo /sbin/sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3“.

4. After this, you can type this command to see the “read” speed of your SSD, as shown in the yellow box in the first image above: $ “dd if=tempfile of=/dev/null bs=1M count=1024" .

Check SSD Speed on Linux Without a Program-2

macOS

Finally, if you have a Mac, and many of us do, admins don't have a built-in tool to view hardware specs on a Mac. Apple has always been careful about what goes under the shiny aluminum body and has been no different from the software side. Fortunately, there are still ways to show off your device's performance with a few extra programs.

2. Check SSD Speed With Third Party Applications

Whether you have the option to test your hardware with or without additional software, there is no need to worry as there are plenty of freeware applications that do the same thing. Moreover, some are even cross-platform, making them more comfortable for all types of users.

Check SSD Speed Using CrystalDiskMark

For Windows users, there is an excellent program that you can use. CrystalDiskMarkm, using this software, you can measure the disk speed of your computer. This can be achieved by pressing 'all' after installing the program.

Download: CrystalDiskMark for Windows (Free)

For macOS, Novabench is a good program that can identify the read and write speed of a disk on your computer. Since this is a third party program, it is not in the App Store but can be found on the Novabench website. Unfortunately, this is only for Intel-based processors, so those with Apple's latest M1 chip are out of luck.

Check SSD Speed Using Novabench

Finally, since nearly all programs on Linux are open source, it would seem odd for the platform to rely on third-party software. However, if you feel the need to use third-party software, Novabench is also available for Linux users to test their speed.

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

3. Check SSD Speed With Cross-Platform Software

Check SSD Speed Using AttoDiskBenchmark

For those who use more than one operating system, ATTO Disk Benchmark is cross-platform. It's technically freeware, though there's a paid version that gives you access to more features. However, this program provides the ability to compare various hardware components in your computer apart from just reading the speed of your storage device.

Whatever the operating system, you can test your SSD speed very easily. To run the test, click Start in the middle of the program. In the dropdown menu there are several parameters that can be changed according to your wishes and your hardware. Then, as shown above, the desired information will be displayed.

Download: AttoDiskBenchmark for Windows | macOS (Free)

What To Do If You Have A Slow Drive?

As technology advances, the technology on your computer will become obsolete. Fortunately, many worn parts can be replaced with newer components, resulting in better performance. While upgrading memory can improve responsiveness, upgrading an SSD can drastically change your computer's performance.

Typical speeds for SSDs range from 300-600MB/s for read and write speeds. In some cases, you'll get more out of a memory upgrade than from an SSD upgrade. The upside is minimal upgrading from SSD to SSD, especially since it's already fast. But from an old HDD to an SSD, you'll definitely feel the difference, as well as when upgrading from the old PCIe standard to the new generation.

Upgrading a storage device to an SSD is a fairly easy task. Decide if you want to use NVMe or SSD , but make sure it is supported on your device. Not all computers or laptops allow the use of NVMe drives due to lack of available ports. After selecting your desired device, you need to transfer data from the original SSD to the new one.

Conclusion

So that's how to check SSD speed on a laptop or PC and various operating systems. With the increasing price of computer parts lately, upgrading your main components can't be done cheaply anymore. One of the cheaper components when upgrading is your storage device.

SSDs can be found at the cheapest prices in the range of 300 – 400 thousand, depending on the storage size you want. As pointed out above, testing disk speed is a rather easy process and can be done with or without internet access for most operating systems. With a choice of built-in or third-party software, you can get your drive information.