Therefore the only way to really make a judgement about the speed of the storage inside your Mac is to use a tool such as the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, or the AJA System Test Lite (free from the.
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- Hard Drive Speed Test Utility
All the data your MacBook uses to operate is stored in a single location: the drive. For many users, this specifically means a hard drive (HDD), which is a physical disk the spins at very high speeds to access chunks of data.
If you’re using a newer Mac, you probably have a solid-state drive (SSD, or flash storage), which is completely electronic with no mechanical parts and thus does not spin.
To check whether your MacBook is with an HDD or SSD, click on the Apple icon on the top left of your screen, select About This Mac, and select Storage.
Hard drive performance is measured in two categories: read speeds and write speeds. The former is a measure of how fast you can open something that already exists, while the latter is how fast you can add something new to your computer’s drive.
Why Should I Test Hard Drive Speed?
Measuring your hard drive speed is one of the easiest and most effective ways to benchmark your MacBook. The data you get by testing will provide a standard to measure customizations such as added extra RAM or drive replacements against, and will also tell you if you need an upgrade in the immediate future.
Knowing your hard drive speed can also help you determine if you’ll be able to run certain programs (such as heavy creative software) effectively or if you don’t have the necessary read and write speeds.
How to Test Hard Drive Speed on a Mac?
To test your HDD, you’re going to need a third-party program, since this functionality isn’t built into macOS. Two of the most popular are BlackMagic and NovaBench, so we’ll show you how to use both.
For context, most modern hard drives have read speeds averaging 120 Mbps and write at 128 Mbps.
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
First, you’ll need to download BlackMagic from the Mac App Store (it’s completely free!). Once it is installed, launch the app.
If you only have one hard drive (if you’re not sure, then you probably just have one), all you have to do is hit “START” since the program only has one window.
If you do have more than one drive (such as an external drive), you can navigate to FILE > SELECT TARGET DRIVE to choose which one you would like to test, and how strenuously. You can also CTRL + CLICK or right-click with a mouse to bring up a small menu.
Whichever you choose, your results will be shown on the two large gauges at the top of the window. Since Blackmagic was created for video editors, underneath the main measurements is a series of tables for those creative professionals who need to know what their computer is capable of. If you’re not in that business, however, you can ignore these and focus on your overall speeds instead.
NovaBench
First, download Novabench from the official website or the Mac App Store. The basic version is free, but you can also upgrade to Pro to access more tools if you like the application.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed, open the program and choose “start tests” from the splash screen. There may be a pop up advising you to close other applications, and then NovaBench will proceed with testing.
Once completed, the test results will be saved with the date and time in the application, and you can view them at any time from the NovaBench start screen.
What to Do If My Disk Speed is Slow?
If your hard drive doesn’t seem to be performing up to par, there are a few things you can do to keep your data safe and your MacBook running at its best.
1. Replace the drive
This is the most effective way to get your computer back in order, but it isn’t the best option for everyone. If your MacBook was made after 2013, you probably don’t have this option at all since models made after this point cannot be opened without voiding the warranty. Additionally, the MacBook Air has never been able to be modified.
If you want to replace your drive, you have two options: buy another HDD, or upgrade to an SSD. A new HDD will be cheaper and get you more space for your money but will eventually face the same problems as your current drive. An SSD will offer significantly faster speed and you can consider one of these SSD upgrades for MacBook we listed.
2. Supplement Your Drive
Not sure about replacing the entire drive or physically can’t do it? You can get an external HDD or SSD that plugs in with USB. It will work in tandem with your existing drive and can be a great fall back in case your drive fails or needs a little extra help.
If this sounds like the right solution for you, check out our list of the best external drives for MacBook Pro.
3. Backup Your Data
Since slow read/write speeds could be a sign of the impending death of your hard drive, it’s a good idea to make sure your computer is completely backed up. You’ll need at least as much storage space on the cloud platform (we recommend Google Drive or Dropbox) or an external drive of your choice as you’re currently taking up on your computer.
Then, you can copy your entire library of files, images, videos, and more to this backup location. Many cloud services also offer an automatic backup service, so you never have to worry about accidentally missing your recent files in the event of a hard drive failure. Additionally, getting excess files off your overworked hard drive could help increase its speed.
Final Words
Testing your MacBook hard drive is something everyone should be doing at least occasionally. It provides valuable data for future reference, helps you understand how your computer is functioning and is a good indicator of when it may be time to upgrade a few things.
How has testing your MacBook’s drive speed turned out? Leave us a comment below and tell us what you’ve done with the information you discovered!
At present, almost all types of works are done using the computer system. So, it is very important to check the performance and effectivity of the computer for efficient work. The performance of the computer is dependent on the condition of the hard drive. As hard drive stores all the data permanently, so if it gets slow then the computer automatically starts displaying sluggish behaviour. So, it is very important for regularly checking, cleaning and updating the speed of the hard drive. Sometimes, people may have to change their hard drive for running the computer smoothly.
Now, the question arises how can we check the speed of the hard drive. There are many software available which can be used for hard drive speed test of PC. However, for better results you software plays an important role. So, make sure that the software is reliable and effective before using it for checking the speed. In this article, you will get the list of the best software for checking the hard drive speed for both Windows and macOS. You will find the steps to use that software for hard drive speed test as well. Go through the article thoroughly to know about it more.
1. HD Tach
HD Tach is a very powerful tool which can be used to bring out the hard drive speed test in Windows PC. You can download this software by clicking here.
This software is capable to read all the parts of the hard drive thoroughly. You can use this to check the burst speed as well. With an average speed report, HD Tach reads the data of the hard drive both in a sequential and random way. You can obtain all the data acquired while checking the hard drive in a spreadsheet.
Compatibility: Windows
Steps to use it:
- Download and install this software.
- Go to Local Disk (C:) and then right click on HD Tach.
- Go to Compatibility and then select Windows XP (Service Pack 3) and “Run this program as an administrator”.
- Click on Ok> Run Test.
Hence, you will get the test results of the speed of the hard drive.
2. ATTO Disk Benchmark
ATTO Disk Benchmark is an amazing software to be used with a complex hard drive with overlapped input-output. No matter what is the number of queue depths, it carries its continuous testing of the speed of hard drive with its time mode feature. It enables the user to transfer sizes up to 64 MB.
Compatibility: Windows
Steps to use it:
- Download and install it and then open its .exe files.
- Select the location of your hard drive and click on Ok.
- Wait until results are out.
In this way, get started with the process of testing the hard drive using this software.
3. Anvil’s Storage Utilities
Anvil’s Storage Utilities is a hard drive reader which gives the complete report about its flexibility and efficiency. You can use its tool to read and write the hard drive completely both using sequential and random operations. Its report is completely up to date and with all the elements and status necessary for the health of the hard drive. It runs three IOPS tests giving best results.
Compatibility: Windows
Steps to use it:
- Download and install the application.
- Open the app and get all the information related to your system.
- Make sure that configuration is correct by checking the settings.
- Now, tap on the “Start” button.
In this way, the test will start resulting in the complete information.
4. RoadKil Speed Test
With the simplest and user-friendly interface, RoadKil Speed Test is a suitable hard drive tester for Windows system. You can check the speed of your hard drive to transfer data with its tool. You can set the benchmark and compare your own set of speeds with that.
Compatibility: Windows
Steps to use it:
- First of all, download and install the application.
- Open them all and enter the drive name to be tested.
- Click on “Begin test”.
In this way, you can obtain the hard drive speed and other necessary information using this tool.
5. Parkdale
Parkdale is multi-functioning software with many advanced tools to measure the speed of hard drives, network servers and CD ROM devices. You can use it in three different modes as per the preference i.e., FileAccess, QuickAccess and BlockAccess. It also calculates the transfer speeds of the hard disks in KB/s or MB/s.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Steps to use it:
- Download and install the application.
- Open the application and then select the hard drive which you want to calibrate. Among the given modes of this software, select one as per your choice.
- Now, click on the “Start” button.
In this way, you can start the process of testing your selected drive.
6. CrystalDiskMark
You can check the complete workability of your hard drive using CrystalDiskMark. It is a freeware utility with advanced tools which is helpful in reading and writing the hard drive using both sequential and random operations. You can check any of your drive including the external hard drive with this software. This software is very helpful for getting the performance status of the hard disk.
Compatibility: Windows
Steps to use it:
- First of all, download and install the CrystalDiskMark.
- Now, open the app and run the program to get the information about the software.
- Now, go to “Settings” and set the number of runs as “1”, size to test as “ 50 MB” and select the drive on which you want to run the test.
- Select the “All” button to process the test.
In this way, the process of the test starts running for the selected drive with the CrystalDiskMark.
7. BlackMagic Disk Speed Test
BlackMagic Disk Speed Test is an amazing application which you can use to check the speed of the hard drive on Mac. It has a very simple and intuitive interface with one window. You can start using it with very customizations in the settings. It checks the hard drive and calculates the speed of the hard drive to read and write in MB per second. You will really love this app to calculate the speed and compatibility with advanced tools.
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Steps to use it:
- Download and install the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test.
- It runs the test process in a single step. All you need to do is to click on the “Start” button. Hence, the process will get started.
- You need to select the target drive and mark the stress.
In this way, you will get your drive tested with its write and read speed.
8. NovaBench
If you are not satisfied with the previously mentioned software, then NovaBench is completely suited for checking the speed of the hard drive. It is featured with 3D graphics which gives the interface an effective look. This software has hi-tech tools to calculate the floating point value of the speed of the CPU. You can select any hard drive and get its performance and speed tested with this software.
Compatibility: Mac
Steps to use it:
- Download and install the NovaBench all on your system.
- Now, run the program.
- Before you get started with this software, make sure to close other running programs on the system.
- Now, go to Tests> Run All Tests.
In this way, you will get all the information about the hard drives on your computer screen.
Hard Drive Speed Test Windows 10
9. Parkdale
Here comes another hard disk speed tester for you Mac PC i.e., Parkdale. This software comes in three different modes for calculating the status of the hard drive. Moreover, the transfer speed of the drive can also be calculated in kbps or Mbps using it. You can measure the speed of any hard drive, CD ROM devices and network servers.
Hard Drive Speed Test Software Mac Download
Compatibility: Mac, Windows
Steps to use it:
- Run the program on your mac and select the drive to be tested. Now, select the mode in which you want to run the test.
- Select the “Start” button to run the process.
Also Read: How to remove write protection from memory card
Atto Hard Drive Speed Test
10. Geekbench
Geekbench is a universal speed teaser of hard drives which can be used to calculate the speed and performance. It checks all types of status of the hard drive using you can which you can check the workability of your computer including all the management and applications. You can get 32-bit mode using its free trial. For 64-bit mode, you need to buy it from the website of the software.
Disk Speed Test For Mac
Compatibility: Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Steps to use it:
- You need to download and install the application on your Mac.
- For better optimization, close all the applications and windows on your computer.
- Now, run the program to get started.
- Click on “Run Benchmarks” to start the process of testing.
In this way, you will see all the results on your screen.
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Hard Drive Speed Test Utility
Tips:
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In this article, you have gone through all the features and ways to use different hard drives for Windows and Mac PC. You can use them to check the complete performance of the system using them. If you have any queries, then put it down in the comments section.