Ultimate Guide on NVMe SSD Performance Test [2024 Beginners' Guide]

Tracy King updated on Jul 10, 2024 to Partition Master | How-to Articles

This post will share a detailed guide to test your NVMe SSD performance. Follow this guide to test NVMe SSD Performance with provided tips to improve the NVMe SSD performance instantly.

Key Takeaways of NVMe SSD Performance: 

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) SSD is a flash-based solid-state drive (SSDs), facilitating the maximization of its high-speed capabilities. Unlike SATA SSD, NVMe SSD employs the high-capacity PCIe bus for linkage, can process an enormously more significant volume of command queues, and minimizes latency by reducing overhead. They prove particularly advantageous in business, gaming, and high-efficiency computing applications.

An efficient solid-state drive (SSD) is key to maximizing a computer's performance, impacting its speed, effectiveness, and overall user interaction. NVMe SSD generates less heat and noise, making them a perfect fit for small or portable systems.

NVMe SSDs are highly recommended primarily for gaming and high data transfer, and here in this post, we will share the key factors with you to test NVMe speed and some practical tips to improve its performance on your own.

NVMe SSD Performance Overview

NVMe SSD, or Non-Volatile Memory Express Solid State Drive, is a standard hardware interface launched in 2011. It uses the PCI Express bus and supports six times faster speed when compared to SATA SSDs. It also boasts of being ten times faster in speed as compared to hard drives. It was particularly created to increase the transfer data speed between client systems and enterprise and solid-state drives.

People are often worried about the NVMe SSD performance. That is because NVMe SSDs offer immense benefits. These include faster speeds, low latency, simultaneous data streaming, etc. Any factor affecting the performance of the NVMe SSDs needs to be handled immediately.

Several factors affect NVMe SSD performance. These are:

1. PCIe interface The PCle interface increases the speed of the NVMe SSD significantly. The four-lane interface makes transferring data from one device to another easy.
2. Controller chip The processing capacity of the SSD controller plays a great role in the performance. When data is written or read from large blocks, processing capacity need not be high. But, it must be high when data is written or read from small blocks.
3. NAND flash memory It is essential to understand that various NAND flash displays various performance levels. For instance, SLC performs better than MLC, while MLC exhibits superior performance compared to TLC.
4. DRAM cache The presence of a DRAM cache is essential to increase the overall speed of the NVMe SSD. It also leads to excellent data management and longevity of the SSD.
5. Heat management The temperature control system of SSD is responsible for running the system efficiently. If the temperature rises, it can affect the performance of the NVMe SSD.

An average healthy NVMe SSD has a read/write speed of 2000MB per second. However, the faster ones can read up to 7 GB per second and write up to 5-6 GB per second. Read the section below if you are eager to test the NVMe SSD Performance.

Guide on Benchmarking NVMe SSD Performance

One can use multiple benchmarking tools to test the NVMe SSD performance. One such reliable software is the EaseUS Partition Master.

The EaseUS Partition Master is an efficient and user-friendly disk partitioning software. The tool can be used for home, business, and service providers. With this tool, you can test the performance of your NVMe SSD. The DiskMark feature of the tool is impressive. It offers accurate results to the i/o tests of the SSD.

Do you want to use EaseUS Partition Master? Follow the simple steps listed below:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master. And click the download button to activate the "DiskMark" feature under the "Discovery" section.

Step 2. Click on the drop-down box to choose the target drive, test data, and block size.

Step 3. Once everything is configured, click "Start" to begin the disk test. Then, you can see the Sequential or Random read/write speed, I/O, and Delay data.

After the test, knowing how to interpret the results is essential. Beginners need to view speed, while advanced users can look at the I/O and Delay data.

Video Tutorial on Testing and Benchmark NVMe SSd Performance

Are you confused about the NVMe SSD Performance? The easiest way to move ahead is to compare your results to the average data of the industry. Now, you have a better idea and can take action if needed. Also, we created a video tutorial to help you execute the operation in an even easier manner:

If you think this tutorial is easy for everything to follow and try, feel free to share to help more of your friends online to test their HDD or SSD speed:

 

Practical Tips to Improve NVMe SSD Performance

Eager to improve NVMe SSD Performance? Check out these practical tips listed here:

Firmware updates Keeping up with the updates is critical to improving the NVMe performance. That is why you need to be on the lookout for updates frequently.
Overprovisioning The usage of extra storage to increase SSD endurance is called overprovisioning. It leads to an increase in the speed and longevity of the NVMe SSD.
TRIM command Enabling the TRIM command is an excellent idea. It erases the blocks that are unused before they are used again. It enhances the I/O performance and reduces fragmentation significantly.
Avoiding defragmentation While defragmentation of a hard drive speeds it up, the same does not apply to NVMe SSDs. That is because SSDs have a different way of storing data. Defragmentation can hamper the health of the SSD.
Proper cooling Overheating is a severe issue for NVMe SSDs. You must take proper steps to ensure it remains at the standard temperature. You can attach soft and flexible thermal pads between the SSD components and the heatsink.

Conclusion

Knowing how to test the NVMe SSD performance is of critical importance. That is, understanding the process of conducting the test and interpreting the result is necessary. After that, you can compare the result to the industry standards to see if active action is required.

The EaseUS Partition Master is an excellent SSD performance testing tool and performance optimization software. It comes with a wide range of features that make it appealing. These include Disk Health, 4K alignment, check file system, etc.

If you haven’t tried EaseUS Partition Master yet, check it out today!

FAQs about NVMe SSD Performance

To gather more knowledge about NVMe SSD performance, take a look at these questions and answers -

1. Nvme vs SSD speed, which is faster?

NVMe is faster than SSD. It can be 2-7X faster compared to the SATA SSDs. Also, NVME devices are closer to the motherboard and deliver better performance.

2. M.2 SATA vs NVMe, which should I use?

Choose NVMe when you want to create a high-quality workstation or gaming PC. It is also perfect for building a server that hosts storage-intensive applications. On the other hand, M.2 SATAs are perfect if you don’t need top-notch performance or lack a big budget.

3. What is a good write speed for NVMe SSD?

NVMe SSDs typically have write speeds ranging from 1,500 to 3,500 megabytes per second (MB/s). However, even if you get an SSD with the same speed, the overall speed is affected by various factors, including interface, flash type, and overall quality,

4. When should I use NVMe SSD?

You should use NVMe SSD when there is a need for more speed. It benefits heavy-lifting tasks such as editing 4K videos, gaming, data center applications, etc.