6 Ways to Test Hard Drive Speed for Free [2024 Edition]

Updated by

Tracy King 

Written by

Linda 

Updated on April 26, 2024

When discussing performance, most of us place significant emphasis on the CPU, RAM, and GPU. However, you can also assess your computer's performance using free hard drive speed testing software. In this guide, I've compiled a list of five such free tools to help you test your hard drive speed for free.

Here are the translations of the given text into English:
1. 1. Test disk speed using the Partition Manager tool
2. 2. Test hard drive speed with PassMark PerformanceTest
3. 3. Assess hard drive performance with ATTO Disk Benchmark
4. 4. Conduct an HDD speed test with CrystalDiskMark
5. 5. Run AS SSD Benchmark to test write and read speeds
6. 6. Check Windows 10 hard drive speed with HD Tune

How to Perform a Hard Drive Speed Test on Windows?

Method 1: Run Disk Speed Test with Partition Manager Tools

Tools Partition Master Free provides a complimentary feature that allows all Windows users to effortlessly scan and test their disk speed with its DiskMark tool in a single click. In addition to measuring hard drive speed, it also assists users in assessing the performance of their SATA SSD, M.2, and NVMe SSD disks. Furthermore, this software enables users to test their removable storage devices, such as external hard drives, USBs, and various types of SD cards.

Features of DiskMark in Partition Master Tools:

• 1-Click to test hard disk speed and SSD speed.
• Test read and write speed, I/O speed, and delay speed.
• Generate a test result report for users to save.
• Support testing internal and external hard drive speed, including USB and SD card.

< strong >Steps to Test Hard Disk Speed with One Click:

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click the download button to activate the “DiskMark” feature under the “Discovery” section.

Click the “Download” button of DiskMark.

Step 2. Click on the drop-down box to select the target drive, test data, and block size.

Step 3. Once everything is set up, click "Start" to begin the disk test. You'll then see the Sequential or Random read/write speed, I/O, and Delay data.

Testing the speed of an SSD, hard drive, SD card, micro SD card, external hard drive, or other devices can be easily done using the tools mentioned in this article.

Method 2: Test Hard Drive Speed with PassMark PerformanceTest

This free performance test software supports any drive mounted under Windows, including IDE drives, SCSI, RAID, USB key drives, SATA, networked shared drives, and external drives. PassMark PerformanceTEST measures the data transfer speed when reading or writing data to one or more disks. The speed at which data can be transferred between memory and a hard disk drive is the most crucial aspect of a system's performance.

< strong > Features of PassMark PerformanceTest include: < /strong >

Here are the translations for the given languages into English:
• Compares the performance of your PC to similar computers worldwide
• Measures the impact of configuration changes and hardware upgrades
• Delivers a comprehensive set of results, including response time

See Also: Disk Performance Test on Windows

If you want more comprehensive hard disk speed data, we recommend you run disk speed test with tools Partition Master.

Method 3: Check disk speed with ATTO Disk Benchmark Method 3: Test disk speed using CrystalDiskMark

ATTO Disk Benchmark for Windows is a tool that aids in measuring the performance of storage systems. It assesses the performance of hard disk drives, solid-state drives, RAID arrays, as well as the host connection to connected storage devices. Employ the same tool that leading drive manufacturers utilize for building and testing drives.

Features of ATTO Disk Benchmark include:

Here are the translations of the provided phrases into English: 1.
• It has a custom transfer size
- It features a custom transfer size. 2.
• Supports for overlapped I/O
- It supports overlapped Input/Output operations. 3.
• Its time mode provides room for continuous testing
- Its time mode allows for continuous testing.

How to test hard drive speed using ATTO Disk Benchmark:

Step 1. Download the hard drive speed tester and install it.

Step 2. Select the drive and click "Start".

Step 3. Wait for the test to complete, then check the results.

If you prefer a more visual representation of the data, use tools like Partition Master to check your hard disk speed.

Method 4: Perform Disk Speed Test with CrystalDiskMark

CrystalDiskMark is a straightforward HDD benchmark software compatible with Windows 10/8/7. It enables you to test the read and write performance of various storage devices, such as hard drives (including Seagate hard drives), SSDs, USB drives, and more.

• Measures Sequential and Random Performance (Read/Write/Mix)
• Various measurement modes available (Peak/Real World/Demo)
• Supports multiple languages

"To use CrystalDiskMark to test hard drive speed, follow these straightforward steps:"

Step 1. Download CrystalDiskMark, and then install it.

Step 2. Select the following features:

Here are the translations in English:
1. Number of runs: 1
2. Size to test: 50 MB
3. The disk you wish to check

Step 3. Click "ALL" to start the test.

Download Partition Master to experience a more comprehensive hard disk speed test.

Method 5: Run AS SSD Benchmark to Test Write and Read Speed

You can assess your SSD drive's performance using AS SSD Benchmark. This tool employs incompressible data since certain SSDs exhibit lower scores when processing compressed data. It displays 4KB read and write speeds, access times, and a final comprehensive overall score. Users can choose to view the overall performance in IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) as per their preference.

Features of AS SSD Benchmark include:

These lines translated into English are:
• Supports multiple languages
• It is fully portable
• It utilizes 100% incompressible data

To test hard drive speed with AS SSD Benchmark:

Step 1. Download AS SSD Benchmark and install it.

Step 2. Select the drive and click "Start".

Step 3. Wait for the test to complete, then check the results.

By downloading tools like Partition Master, you can get a more accurate and intuitive picture of your hard drive's speed.

Method 6: Check Windows 10 hard drive speed with HD Tune Method 6: Check your Windows 10 hard drive speed using HD Tune

HD Tune Pro is a versatile utility tool with multiple functions. It enables you to measure the drive's performance, conduct error scans, assess the health status using S.M.A.R.T. technology, securely wipe out all data, and offers many other features.

Features of HD Tune include:

These languages have been translated into English:
• It logs read speeds to a text file for loading in a spreadsheet
• This software performs sequential as well as random reads
• Reads from all areas in the hard drive

How to use HD Tune to test hard drive speed: To test the speed of your hard drive using HD Tune, follow these steps: 1. **Download and Install HD Tune**: Visit the official website of HD Tune (https://www.hdtune.com/) and download the appropriate version for your operating system (Windows or other alternatives). Install the software on your computer. 2. **Launch HD Tune**: Once installed, open HD Tune from your applications list or desktop shortcut. 3. **Select Test Type**: Upon launching the program, you will see different options on the main interface. To test the drive's speed, click on the "Benchmark" tab or icon. 4. **Choose Drive**: In the Benchmark window, you'll see a list of hard drives connected to your system. Select the hard drive you want to test from the drop-down menu or by clicking on its entry. 5. **Start the Test**: Click the "Start" button to initiate the benchmark test. The software will now read and write data to the hard drive, measuring its performance in terms of transfer speed, access time, and other parameters. 6. **View Results**: HD Tune will display a graphical representation of the test results, showing the minimum, maximum, and average transfer speeds along with other information like seek time and disk health. Analyze the graph to get an understanding of your hard drive's speed and performance. 7. **Save or Print Results**: If needed, you can save the test results as a text file or print them for future reference. Click "File" then "Save Report" or "Print." Remember that the speed of your hard drive may vary depending on factors such as the type of drive (HDD or SSD), its age, the workload, and your system's overall performance.

Step 1. Download and install HD Tune on your device.

Step 2. Launch the application and click "Run Test."

Step 3. When the test is completed, check the result.

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Conclusion

These HDDs and SSDs are crucial because they serve as the operating system that your computer relies on to function. The speed of your computer is directly dependent on your HDD or SSD. Even if you have a high-performing CPU and ample memory, a slow HDD or SSD will cause your computer to lag. Therefore, it's essential to test your hard drive's speed and implement the solutions mentioned above to optimize its performance.

For a quick and straightforward disk speed testing software, consider using AOMEI Partition Assistant. It will effectively scan your device and provide an immediate report on your disk performance.

Frequently Asked Questions About Disk Speed Test

It doesn't matter if you have more questions regarding testing hard disk drive speed. Here, we've gathered some popular topics about testing disk speed, and you can follow along to find the desired answers below:

**1. How can I test my disk speed?**

The Task Manager in Windows is an excellent tool for testing hard drive speed.

To open the Task Manager, press Ctrl+Alt+Del, or right-click the taskbar and select "Task Manager." Once you open the Task Manager, look for the "Disk" section. This will show you the read/write speed of your hard drive disk.

**2. What is good disk speed?**

The average speeds of HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and SSDs (Solid State Drives) differ significantly. Here's a list of typical average speeds for both types of storage devices: For HDDs: - Sequential Read Speed: Around 150 MB/s to 200 MB/s - Sequential Write Speed: Approximately 90 MB/s to 160 MB/s - Random Read/Write Speed: Typically around 80 IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) For SSDs: - Sequential Read Speed: Up to 3,500 MB/s or higher for NVMe M.2 SSDs, around 550 MB/s for SATA SSDs - Sequential Write Speed: Up to 3,300 MB/s or higher for NVMe M.2 SSDs, around 520 MB/s for SATA SSDs - Random Read/Write Speed: Can be in the thousands of IOPS, ranging from 4K to 60K or more depending on the drive's capabilities Please note that these are general averages and actual speeds may vary based on the specific model, manufacturer, and other factors.

Here are the translations for the languages you provided:
• Speed of HDDs: 80MB/s - 160MB/s
• Speed of SATA SSD: 200MB/s - 550MB/s
• Speed of M.2/NVMe SSD: 600MB/s - 1GB/s
These are already in English. They refer to the typical read speeds for different types of storage devices: - Speed of HDDs (Hard Disk Drives): 80 Megabytes per second (MB/s) to 160 MB/s - Speed of SATA SSDs (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment Solid State Drives): 200 MB/s to 550 MB/s - Speed of M.2/NVMe SSDs (Non-Volatile Memory Express Solid State Drives): 600 MB/s to 1 Gigabyte per second (GB/s)

If your hard disk drive speed is below the norm, try some of the tips on this page to speed up hard drives in Windows.

3. How to test SSD speed in Windows 10? To test the speed of an SSD in Windows 10, you can use built-in tools or third-party software. Here's a simple method using the "Disk Speed Test" feature from CrystalDiskMark, a popular benchmarking tool: 1. **Download CrystalDiskMark**: Visit the official website (https://crystalmark.info/en/) and download the latest version of CrystalDiskMark. 2. **Install and Run**: Install the software and launch it as an administrator. 3. **Select Drive**: In the CrystalDiskMark interface, ensure that the SSD drive you want to test is selected under the "Drive" section. 4. **Choose Test Parameters**: By default, CrystalDiskMark will perform a sequential read and write test with a 512KB block size. You can customize the test settings if needed. 5. **Run the Test**: Click on the "Start" button to begin the speed test. 6. **View Results**: The test will run for a short while, and then display the read and write speeds of your SSD in MB/s (MegaBytes per second). Alternatively, you can also use the built-in Windows tool called "Windows Performance Analyzer" or "File Explorer" to measure basic read and write speeds. However, for more accurate and detailed results, CrystalDiskMark or similar benchmarking tools are recommended.

• Ensure that your SSD is properly installed on your PC.
• Initialize it and create a partition on it.
• Open Command Prompt and run it with administrative privileges.
• Type: win diskpart -list -disk -select (name) -clean -create -partition primary -size (size_in_MB) and press Enter. (Replace name with the drive letter of your SSD and size_in_MB with the desired partition size in megabytes.)

Once done, you'll be able to view the speed of your SSD on Windows 10.