We’ve come a long way, and it’s incredible how much technology has evolved in recent years. The advancements are fascinating. Technology has truly advanced from the days of single-use floppy disks with limited capacity to lightning-fast PCIe Gen 4 NVME SSDs. Storage drives are much smaller and lighter when compared to their floppy Disk predecessors, making them much easier to carry around and transfer data on the go.

What Are Disk Speed Test Apps?

Disk speed test apps help measure the overall speed and Performance of a hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) (internal or external) connected to a computer system. These apps can help identify potential bottlenecks in your system and determine if your drive is performing optimally under all given conditions and usage scenarios. These tools can also help determine if the hard drive has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

How Are Disk Speed Test Apps Helpful?

They are beneficial for those who work with large files or frequently transfer data between drives. With a hard drive speed testing app, you can ensure that your computer is running optimally and avoid data loss or corruption due to slower hard drive performance. Overall, disk speed test apps are useful for anyone who wants to make sure their computer is running smoothly and efficiently.

Things to Ensure or Keep in Mind When/Before Using a Disk Speed Test App:

Here is a list of things you should pay attention to in order to get accurate and meaningful results:

• System Load: Make sure there are no resource-intensive tasks or apps running in the background, as they can affect test results and overall system performance.
• Background Apps: Ensure everything is up to date (including drivers and Windows updates). Windows updates are notorious for running in the background and consuming a lot of system resources.
• Disk Health: Make sure the hard drive is healthy and in good condition before launching the app for hard drive testing. Damaged or defective hard drives may not provide accurate results and can lead to data loss.
• Data Backup: During disk speed tests, large amounts of data are read and written. Therefore, it is important to back up all important data on the hard drive to avoid data loss in case unexpected stability problems occur during the test.
• Available Space: Make sure that there is enough free space on the hard disk for the test data.
• Test File Size: Choose an appropriate test file size that matches your typical use case. Smaller files may not represent the actual performance.
• Testing Method: Different disk speed tests use different test methods and algorithms, such as sequential or random reads and writes.
• Multiple Runs: To ensure consistency and accuracy, you should run the speed test multiple times at specific intervals and average the final results.
• Temperature: High disk temperatures can significantly impact performance. Monitor the disk’s temperature and the overall system temperature during the test, especially if you are running longer or intensive tests.
• Security Software: Security software may flag Disk speed test apps as suspicious. Temporarily turn off third-party antivirus software or built-in Windows Security (formerly Windows Defender) during the test to avoid interference.
• Bottlenecks & Hardware Compatibility: Before running the test, make sure that your system is compatible with the drive and has no bottlenecks. There is a possibility that the drive you are using is of a newer generation and runs at significantly lower speeds to ensure compatibility. (An example of this is using a PCIe Gen 4 drive on hardware that only supports Gen 3)

By considering these factors, you can more effectively perform disk speed tests and make informed decisions about your storage needs. Whether you’re using a Mac or Windows, we’ve compiled a list of the best hard drive speed tests for you.

Best Disk Speed Test Apps For Windows & macOS

CrystalDiskMark [Windows]

CrystalDiskMark stands out as the most widely used application for testing disk speed on the Internet. It’s a no-nonsense app with a minimal UI, which is easy to use and provides accurate results with one click. The tool can benchmark storage devices such as hard drives, SSDs and USB drives. It measures both read and Write Speeds and offers a user-friendly interface and various test modes to evaluate different aspects of hard drive performance.

AmorphousDiskMark [macOS]

AmorphousDiskMark is the macOS version of CrystalDiskMark. With the same functions and features, AmorphousDiskMark is the exact copy with the same UI, except that the custom themes and customizations part is missing. The good thing about the app is that it’s completely free and can be downloaded directly from the App Store.

ATTO Disk Benchmark [Windows]

Another reliable option to test the performance of your hard drive or SSD. UI may look outdated and reminiscent of Windows 95, but it provides accurate results and gets the job done. Besides, you can download it for free.

AS SSD Benchmark [Windows]

AS SSD is, as the name suggests, a benchmarking tool for evaluating the performance of solid state drives (SSD). This app is designed to measure read and write speeds specifically for solid state drives. The UI is very similar to CrystalDiskMark, which we have already talked about. It measures various aspects such as sequential and random readand write speeds, access times, etc. The benchmark provides a score that can be used to compare the performance of different SSDs – a nice little feature that we liked.

HD Tune [Windows]

HD Tune is one of the best disk management tools we came across during our testing, and we found it to be much more than a hard disk speed measurement software. Aside from the standard tests, this tool can provide various insights into the entire disk, such as drive health, error scanning, disk info, monitoring tools, and much more. Even though the app is paid, you can try all the features for 15 days.

Blackmagic Disk Speed [macOS/Windows]

It is a popular benchmarking tool designed to test the read and write speeds of storage devices, especially hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs). Content creators and media professionals primarily use the app to test their storage devices for data-intensive tasks such as photo and video editing, graphical and 3D work. On Windows, the user needs to install BlackMagic Video Suite to test hard drive speed, unlike macOS where the app is a standalone package.

UserBenchMark [Windows]

UserBenchMark is an all-rounder when it comes to benchmarking-related tasks. This app not only tests disk speed, but also evaluates overall system performance, making it a great option for a comprehensive analysis of your PC ‘s performance. It’s a complete package for all your benchmark needs and can give you detailed insights.

AJA System Test [Windows/Mac]

AJA System Test is a powerful tool for testing your system’s performance. With its comprehensive features, you can quickly measure the efficiency of your system, such as the performance of CPU, hard disk readand write speeds, and video processing capabilities. It’s similar to the Blackmagic disk speed test and gives you insights into hard drive performance.

Conclusion

After extensive research and testing, we found the best disk speed test apps for you and compiled the list above. These apps provide accurate and reliable results and allow users to evaluate the performance of their hard drives and solid-state drives.

CrystalDiskMark or AmorphousDiskMark (the Mac version of CrystalDiskMark) is particularly user-friendly and offers a variety of testing options, while ATTO Disk Benchmark is great for testing larger files. Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is ideal for anyone working with video and audio files, as it measures the transfer speed of media files. Overall, these apps are indispensable for anyone who wants to optimize their device’s storage performance.

FAQs about Best Disk Speed Apps

1. How can I see my disk speed?

There are two ways to see your disk speed in Windows 10/11:

Using Task Manager:

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
• Click on the “Performance” tab.
• In the “Disk” section, you will see the read and write speeds of your hard drives.

Using the Command Prompt:

• Open Command Prompt as administrator.
• Type the following command and press Enter:

  winsat disk -drive c

  This will test the read and write speed of the drive with the drive letter c. To test a different drive, change the c to the drive letter of that drive.

2. What is good disk speed?

The definition of a good disk speed depends on the type of disk and the tasks that you will be using it for.

Hard disk drives (HDDs) typically have read and write speeds of 80-160 MB/s. This is sufficient for most general-purpose tasks, such as browsing the web, opening documents, and playing music.
Solid-state drives (SSDs) are much faster than HDDs, with read and write speeds of 200-550 MB/s and up to 5,000 MB/s for NVMe SSDs. This makes them ideal for tasks that require a lot of data transfer, such as loading games, editing videos, and running virtual machines.

3. What is faster RAM or SSD?

RAM (random access memory) is much faster than SSD (solid-state drive). RAM is typically 10-30 times faster than SSD, and 50-70 times faster than HDD (hard disk drive).

The main difference between RAM and SSD is that RAM is volatile, which means that it loses its data when the computer is turned off. SSD is non-volatile, which means that it retains its data even when the computer is turned off.

4. How do I check my SSD speed?

There are many third-party tools that can be used to test disk speed. Some of the most popular ones are:

• CrystalDiskMark
• ATTO Disk Benchmark
• HD Tune
• PassMark PerformanceTest