A hard drive is a crucial part of a computer because it stores your PC's operating system. Basically, it works like the brain of the computer. It also contributes to the speed of the hard drive. Despite having high memory and a high performance CPU, without a HDD your computer will run slowly. It is especially noticeable when using the Internet.
Computer delays also affect multitasking abilities and this is the main purpose for which high performance hard drives are required. You can also consider upgrading hard drives to improve computer performance. But these days it is possible to check hard drive speed and performance using benchmarking software. The best benchmarking software is usually free.
Here's a rundown of some of the free tools to measure your Windows 10 PC hard drive performance.
CrystalDiskMark is another reliable disk benchmark program that estimates sequential read / write speed, selects test data, supports themes and multiple languages, and more. The best part about the software is that it works through the installation process pretty fast. There isn't much to configure, except the root directory.
Also, it helps you familiarize yourself with your HDD, so it has the ability to estimate sequential and random read / write speeds. At the same time, it also shows complete details to the user using a simple interface. The app is extremely intuitive and allows you to view all test results in the main window.
The program basically only takes a few minutes to run all the benchmarks. Hit the start button after closing all apps and get the best results. What's more? The program does not put much stress on the RAM and the processor, however it is good not to have documents open while the program is running the test.
Price: free
My HDD Speed is one of the best free hard drive benchmarking tools that tracks the speed and performance of all your hard drives in real time. It also displays read and write activity in a small desktop window. The tool not only tracks mechanical hard drives, but also the latest SSDs. Since SSDs come with super-fast read and write speeds and your system has recently been upgraded to an SSD, this tool will detect the speed of the new hardware as well. The best part is that the latest SSDs are comparatively faster than its predecessors.
My HDD Speed is compact; however, the newer version has an installer with added software and registration as options. You can reject it and rather open the zipped file and click on it. Once clicked, a small window will open at the top left of the desktop. This can also be dragged onto the screen. This gadget-like display is placed on a transparent background, so it mixes well. If your system comes with two hard drives as the boot drive as SSD and one large hard drive split into two more drives, the tool will display all three in chronological order. Each drive is indicated with an arrow that lights up to indicate when data is being read from or written to the disk.
Each of the lines also indicates the read and write actions in KB / s. When you right-click on the tool window or taskbar image, a menu opens that allows you to re-scan your drives, fix the HDD refresh rate, and even boot automatic with Windows and so on.
Price: free
CPU-Z is a free hard drive performance measurement tool that collects details about some of the main system devices such as:
- The processor name and number, cache levels, codename, process, etc.;
- from the motherboard and the chipset;
- size and type of memory, programs and module details;
- real-time estimation of the internal and memory frequency of each core.
It eliminates a lot of technical and manual research and produces a list of useful information for computer enthusiasts. The interface is very simple, ideally without command images. The program offers rich information that resembles reading a report. While it is heavily data driven, those who love attention to detail will love it.
From your motherboard chipset to the technical details of the clock, the interface is equipped with seven cards. It also offers all the details related to PC memory, graphics, cache and SPD which are easy to find. Overall, the tool presents all the details in tables containing highly technical names and numbers in an easy-to-read format.
Price: free
ATTO's Disk Benchmark software helps estimate storage system performance by running a series of tests to identify hard drive speed. It is one of the primary tools used in the industry that determines the performance of hard drives, SSDs, and more.
Unlike many of the benchmark tools that host highly complicated features and applications, ATTO Disk Benchmark is easy to use and offers faster setup. It comes with a simple interface, but with detailed help options with specifics for each feature. All its useful utilities are enclosed in a single window which helps to complete the pre-test setup in the shortest possible time.
To test, you need to select a drive you want to access, the transfer size, the total length, and then answer a call if you want to use forced write access and direct I / O. At the end of the test, the tool generates the test results in a professional way, directly within the main window. The results feature comprehensive graphs and read / write statistics. In addition, it also allows you to save the results to a file or even print them. You can transfer files from 512KB to 8MB and 64KB to 2GB. It allows continuous testing via the time mode, while offering several default settings via the I / O option.
The generated reports can be saved or printed directly from within the application. You can do this using a dedicated tool that helps open a report created in the past and evaluate it on the fly. Overall, it's one of the simplest ways to measure the speed of a hard drive.
Price: free
HWMonitor, a hardware monitoring software, reads a computer's major health sensors such as fan speed, voltage, and temperature. The tool also handles the most common sensor chips such as the ITE® IT87 series, most Winbond® ICs, etc. It basically monitors the PC's vital statistics which include the temperature of the different components and the existing input voltages. This helps protect the machine from any possibility of overheating or mechanical failure.
All data acquired by the software is presented in a simple presentation. Plus, in addition to the existing readings for all of your PCs, it also shows you the suggested highs and lows of each category to give you a frame of reference. In addition, this software also updates all the data evaluations it shows in real time. Overall, this program lacks a lot of additional features, but it does exactly what it promises.
Price: free
While most benchmarking tools create a file on the HDD and test within the file, HD Tach works a little differently than. Newer hard drives use a zone bit recording method that allows for multiple read rates based on data location and this is a problem. Data located outside the drive is relatively faster than data located inside.
The cool thing about HD Tach is that it reads from all sections of the hard drive and delivers an average speed. In addition, it also documents reading speeds in a text file that can be annotated on a spreadsheet and chart. This makes it easier to view and read the test results. Although HD Tach performs sequential read, it also checks the drive's random access time (actual measure of seek speed).
What's more? This tool also checks the drive's burst rate, which is the rate at which data can be accessed from the drive's built-in read ahead memory. This estimates the speed of the drive and the controller interface. The registered version offers write tests and supports Windows NT / 2000.
Price: free trial
AS SSD Benchmark is a lightweight and handy hard drive performance measurement tool that uses copy and compression tests to analyze the performance of your SSD. It is a simple benchmark tool with a clean user interface that shows the read / write speed of the chosen SSD in a table format. It also requires no installation and therefore does not affect the registry in any form.
It automatically detects all SSDs connected to your device and the software allows you to select the one you want to test. It offers multiple test cases, that is, you can run three tests here: the “SEQ” test, the 4K test and the SSD access time calculation. Your computer collects the scores for the read / write speed along with the overall score based on the test results.
The program also comes with copy and compression benchmark tests that can give you a clear picture of what your SSD can do. You can also save the test results by exporting the data to an XML file or record them using the “Screenshot” option.
Price: free
Anvil's Storage Utilities is a dynamic benchmarking tool designed to offer an easy way to evaluate the read and write performance of your HDD or SSD. The tool helps you monitor and analyze drive response time and also view system details collected with WMI - Windows Management Instrumentation.
You can run a benchmark test directly by choosing a drive from the top right end of the menu. You can also check the settings first to make sure all configurations are correct. Here you can replicate a compression level of the test file, such as database, application or uncompressed, and also check if you want to use the same test file on continuous runs or produce a new one every time.
The software displays both MB and IOPS, which most equivalent benchmarks do not show. The program comes with a handy screenshot button that can be used to create a screenshot of a test result. Also, you can create an option to transfer the Trim command to a unit.
Price: free
SiSoftware Sandra Lite has an attractive interface with a plethora of colors. The tools are sorted into categories for easy access for users such as, Computer Maintenance, Module Types (Benchmark, Hardware, Software, Support), and Program Maintenance. The categories are placed on each tab located at the top of the window by the icons, and each of these tabs offers access to a collection of targeted tools.
Additionally, you can choose from the full list of item choices that can be tested. The tests are run automatically without the user being informed of what is being tested. You can easily find devices, peripherals and processes to test using the list of options. With this, there is no need to wait for the software to run a full test using the entire system. The benchmarking and reporting features are also commendable.
Price: free trial; the pro version starts at $ 49,99
Speccy is lightweight, fast, and a state-of-the-art system information program for your computer that helps you find what's inside your PC. It displays a brief summary or allows you to get an in-depth view of every aspect of your computer's hardware so that you can make upgrades or purchases with complete information. It offers comprehensive information on every single piece of hardware on your PC. Save the time you would otherwise spend searching for data related to CPU, motherboard, RAM, graphics cards, and more.
It also displays real-time temperatures of critical components so you can easily pinpoint problems before they occur. What's more? You can also save the scanned output immediately as an XML, text file, or as a snapshot.
Price: free
While there are many benchmarking tools available online, not all tools offer the best results. Choose from the above list of free tools to measure hard drive performance and keep it in top condition all year round.
