3 Easiest Methods to Perform a USB Speed Test on Windows 10 in 2024

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 25, 2024

Knowing the read and write speeds of your USB drive will spare you immense mental anguish. Picture this: You're about to embark on a journey and quickly grab a USB drive from an electronics store, only to discover that it's incredibly slow, and the photos or files you need to transfer will take hours. Yet, you need to leave within minutes!

You can avoid this by making a conscious purchase, but what about that USB drive you bought a long time ago? Is it fast? Or is it slow?

By conducting a USB speed test on Windows 10 PC, you can determine that. If you're unsure how to check the USB's speed, don't worry! Keep reading this article from tools, and we'll guide you through the process!

3 Best Methods to Test USB Speed on Windows 10

Here, we offer you three methods. Keep reading, and you'll see our step-by-step guide on using those tools to test your drive's speed, but first, let's preview how they compare to one another.

In our opinion, Partition Master is the best tool to conduct a speed test on your USB drive since it provides a detailed report. This can also be useful for comparing the speeds of multiple USB drives.

Method 1: Use Partition Master Tool to Run USB Speed Test - Easiest & Professional

The software Partition Master includes a function called "Disk Mark," which enables you to precisely measure the speed of your USB drive. This is actually a free utility compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7. Using this tool, you can perform a speed test on any USB drive from any brand, as well as a disk performance test for your HDD or SSD.

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Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click the download button to activate the "DiskMark" feature under the "Tools" 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. After configuring everything, click "Start" to initiate the disk test. You will then observe the Sequential or Random read/write speed, I/O operations, and Delay data.

If you're looking for an easy-to-use tool that delivers accurate results, download Partition Master!

If you find this method useful and easy, share it with your friends to let them know!

Method 2: Run the CMD Command to Perform a USB Speed Test in Windows

The Command Prompt can also run a speed test for your USB drive. However, since using CMD might be risky for beginners, you should exercise caution when following this tutorial. Here's how to proceed:

Step 1. Click "Start" and search for "Command Prompt."

Step 2. Choose "Run as administrator."

Step 3. Type and enter the following command: winsat disk -drive X (Replace "X" with the letter that corresponds to the USB drive in "This PC.")

Step 4. Allow some time for the results to be generated and displayed.

Step 5. Next, you can check the USB speed results to decide if it's fast enough for your needs.

Method 3: Use Task Manager to Obtain USB Real-Time Speed Data

The Task Manager is another excellent Windows utility for checking the read/write speeds of your USB drive. However, it's not very precise since it provides real-time data, only displaying the speed at which a file is being copied to the USB.

As you know, during the transfer process, the speed fluctuates several times due to various reasons. This method is not suitable for testing the maximum performance of your USB drive.

But if you'd like to check the speed in real-time, here's the guide:

Step 1. Press "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" keys all together.

Step 2. Navigate to the "Performance" section.

Step 3. In the left menu, select your USB drive.

Step 4. You can check the read and write speed of your USB drive on the right-side window.

Compare USB Speed and Maintain High Performance

Now you have the results of your USB drive's speed test, and you should compare the speed with the industry standard. If your USB drive's speeds are slower than those of similarly specified USB drives from a different brand, there might be an issue. You should find a way to fix the slow USB transfer speed to enhance its performance.

Here are the average speeds for each USB generation. Following this, I'll demonstrate how to optimize the drive's performance if it's slower than the typical speed.

1. Compare USB Speed

Many factors can influence the average speed of your USB drives, such as their generation (USB 3.1, USB 3.0, or USB 2.0). Additionally, the PC and the manufacturer also play a part.

Here are the average write speeds for USB 3.1, 3.0, and 2.0:

以下是平均读取速度：

If you think your USB drive is running slower than it should be, read on for some tips to improve its performance.

2. Bonus Tips to Boost USB Performance

Here's what you can do if your USB drive speeds are slower than average:

• Upgrade to USB 3.1 or USB 3.0 from USB 2.0 drives.
• Connect the USB 3.1 drive to a USB 3.1 port for maximum speeds. Connecting it to 3.0 or 2.0 ports may result in slower speeds.
• Check and remove viruses if any are detected.
• Format your USB drive to the NTFS file system. If you're a Mac user, format it for the exFAT file system.

After reading this informative article, you might feel inclined to share it on your social media platforms.

Conclusion

If your USB drive is becoming slow or getting stuck when opening files, or you notice that the transfer speeds have decreased, you should perform a speed test. You can evaluate the speed of your USB drive using the methods mentioned above, but the recommended tool is tools Partition Master, which is the most accurate and reliable.

It also provides other features, such as changing the file system of your USB drive from FAT32 to NTFS, checking for file system errors, and testing the health of the USB.

Frequently Asked Questions About Achieving USB Speed in Windows 10

Here are some additional frequently asked questions and answers regarding how to perform speed tests on your USB drive in Windows 10.

1. How do I test the speed of my USB 3.0 drive?

You can use Task Manager to perform a speed test on your USB 3.0 disk to determine the transfer speed.

• Press "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" to open Task Manager and click on "Performance".
• Select your disk.
• You can check the read/write speeds on the right-side window.

2. How fast should my USB 3.0 be in Windows 11? In Windows 11, USB 3.0 should理论上提供最高5 Gbps (gigabits per second)的数据传输速度。然而，实际速度可能因设备、硬件兼容性、电缆质量和其他因素而异，通常在3.5-4.5 Gbps左右。这相当于约375-500 MBps (megabytes per second)的文件传输速率。请注意，这些是理想条件下的最大值，实际使用中可能会有所下降。

Your USB 3.0 should have a write speed of around 10-40 MB/s and a read speed of about 50-60 MB/s.

3. How can I tell if my USB is using 3.0 or 2.0?

Here's how:

• Right-click "Start" and choose "Device Manager."
• Expand "Universal Serial Bus controllers."
• Determine if you have any USB 3.0 ports available.
• Connect your USB drive to the 9-pin USB port on your computer.

4. Can CrystalDiskMark test the USB speed?

Yes, you can use CrystalDiskMark to test the speed of your USB drive. CrystalDiskMark is capable of testing the speed of any storage device or memory card. Upon completing the test, you will receive a results report. This report will display your drive's performance and how it measures up against other drives within the same category.