Enterprise Storage Forum content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Bottom Line
CrystalDiskMark is one of the most popular benchmarking tools for computer and external drives. It’s open source, free, and one of the best free drive benchmark software choices. CrystalDiskMark performs good low-queue reads and provides multiple test modes for drives. The software allows users to test SSDs, including NVMe drives — a useful feature for PCIe users who want to test their high-performance drives.
Also Read: Best SSD Benchmark Tools of 2021
Service Description
CrystalDiskMark performs benchmark tests for hard disk drives and solid state drives, showing users how they respond with different queue depths, numbers of threads, and read requirements.
CrystalDiskMark is available as a free download for Windows computers or servers. There are three versions of the software: Standard edition, Shizuku edition, and Tsukumo Tokka edition.
Features
CrystalDiskMark runs under the following specifications and offers the following features for benchmarking drives.
Supported Hardware
CrystalDiskMark tests performance of local and external hard drives and solid state drives, including NVMe SSDs.
Test Areas
- Sequential read/write speeds
- Random read/write speeds
- Three different modes to run benchmarks: Peak, Real World, and Demo
System Requirements
Operating system:
- Windows XP/Vista 7, 8, 8.1, 10
- Windows server 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019
- Windows versions 95 to 2000 are not supported.
Support
- CrystalDiskMark is available in at least 14 languages.
- The website lists answers to a few frequently asked questions.
- CrystalDiskMark provides a contact email address for users if bugs arise.
Security
CrystalDiskMark is open source software. The vendor website provides no information about the program’s security or its encryption features, if any.
Key Markets and Use Cases
CrystalDiskMark is best suited for:
- NVMe SSD testing
- Computer hard drive testing for consumers and personal users
- Small businesses that regularly benchmark their computer and server hard drives
- Small to medium businesses that have many external NVMe drives and require high-speed data transfers.
