One of the first doubts every SSD user has is whether their drive is running at the right speed. Running a few benchmarking sessions and comparing the results with other measurements found online is a fundamental step, but there are also external factors that could affect overall performance. The program AS SSD Benchmark can report those factors and run several read and write tests under different conditions.
The latest generation of hard drives offers more than acceptable performance, but at the same time we are convinced that no new computer should be assembled or put on sale without an SSD. On the other hand, solid state drives are an excellent upgrade for older systems, reproducing their benefits even when they work under old interfaces like SATA2. Now the question is: what kind of speed should we expect? The final answer depends on a long list of factors, and it all starts with a good SSD benchmarking program. Recently we recommended IsMyHdOK and the classic CrystalDiskMark, but today we are making room for AS SSD Benchmark.
One of the best options in SSD benchmarking
At first glance, AS SSD Benchmark has nothing to envy its direct rivals, offering users read, write and access time tests with blocks of 1, 3, 5 and 10 GB. The program assigns an overall score to the global read and write results, making it easier to compare one SSD with another. In the upper left corner of the interface, AS SSD Benchmark reports the SSD brand, its internal code, and two very important values: Operation mode and alignment. If for any reason the SSD is working in IDE mode, the first entry will be marked as bad. The same will happen if the SSD partition is misaligned, a very common problem when partitioning disks in old versions of Windows (XP, for example).
AS SSD Benchmark does not have the ability to fix those details on its own, but it is not too complicated. To switch from IDE mode to AHCI mode we must take a trip to the BIOS and explore the advanced options of the SATA controller, although this change can cause problems in Windows 7 or earlier installations (errors, blue screens). Alignment, on the other hand, is fixed with an external program. The fastest way is to download a free copy of MiniTool Partition Wizard, and use its built-in alignment function on the affected partition. With the help of AS SSD Benchmark and these adjustments, you will probably be able to squeeze a little more performance out of your SSD.
(Editor's note: The official page is in German, but the Majorgeeks mirror always offers the latest available version.)
