Simple HDD/SSD Benchmarks
Christian Külker
version 0.1.0
2017-10-25
Simple HDD/SSD benchmarks with Linux tools
Table Of Contents

Introduction

This document introduces some utilities and test to help to understand the performance of Hard Disk Drives (HDD), Solid State Drives (SSD), and others.

History

Version Date Notes
0.1.1 2022-05-24 +Introduction, +History
0.1.0 2017-10-25 Initial release

Tools

smartctl
hdparm
bonnie++
gnome-disk-utility
dd
iozone

Hints

Make sure the device interface (SATA/SAS/mSATA/M.2/NVMe) of the host system is the best that the disk can support. See smartctl for more info: SATA Version is: SATA 3.1, 6.0 Gb/s (2017: 3.0 Gb/s)

Gnome Disk Utility

aptitude install gnome-disk-utility
/usr/bin/gnome-disks

  1. Select disk, Push cog button, select SMART Data and Self-Tests “Start Self-Test”: short, long and conveyance.

  2. Select disk, Push cog button, select Benchmark

   Transfer Rate:
       Number of Samples: 100
       Sample Size: 10 MiB (10,485,760 bytes)
    Access Time:
       Number of Samples: 1000

Make screenshot

hdparm

for i in {1..10}; do hdparm -t /dev/sdb > hdparm-t-$i.log;done
for i in {1..10}; do hdparm -t /dev/sdb > hdparm-T-$i.log;done

Use a spread sheet and psppire to analyse.

smartctl

smartctl -a /dev/sdb > smartctl-a.log
smartctl -i /dev/sdb > smartctl-i.log
smartctl -x /dev/sdb > smartctl-x.log

Further Reading

smartctl