Real-world benchmark experiences, what numbers to expect from NVMe vs SATA vs HDD, and how others solved common issues.
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What Results to Expect (Rough Ranges)
CrystalDiskMark results depend on drive type, interface, and system. Below are typical ranges (SEQ 1MiB Q8T1 read) so you can tell if your drive is in the right ballpark.
Drive type
Typical SEQ read (MB/s)
Notes
NVMe Gen4 SSD
5000–7500+
PCIe 4.0 x4; use NVMe profile
NVMe Gen3 SSD
2500–3500
PCIe 3.0 x4
SATA SSD
500–560
SATA 6 Gbps limit
HDD (7200 rpm)
120–200
Varies with platter density
USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps)
800–1000
Good external SSD
USB 3.0 flash drive
50–200
Use small test size (e.g. 64 MiB)
Switching from SATA SSD to NVMe – One User’s Check
Experience / benchmark comparison
"I upgraded from a SATA SSD to a 1 TB NVMe Gen3 drive. With CrystalDiskMark I ran the default test (1 GiB, 5 runs). On the SATA SSD I got about 550 MB/s read and 520 MB/s write. On the NVMe I got around 3400 MB/s read and 3000 MB/s write. The difference in daily use is noticeable when loading games and copying large files. I used the NVMe SSD profile so the random tests (Q32T16) were included. If your NVMe shows only SATA-like speeds, check that it’s in an M.2 NVMe slot and that the driver is the latest from your motherboard vendor."
Benchmark Failed Until Running as Admin
Troubleshooting experience
"CrystalDiskMark kept failing as soon as I clicked All. I had enough free space. I tried running it as Administrator and the benchmark completed. So if you get an error or immediate failure, try right‑click → Run as administrator. For network drives it’s the opposite—you need to run without admin so the network drive appears."
Comparing Two Benchmark Runs (Random vs 0 Fill)
Understanding test data
"On my SSD I ran the same test twice: once with test data set to 0 Fill and once to Random. The random test was about 10% lower in write speed. The FAQ says some SSDs depend on test data, so if you’re comparing with someone else’s result, check whether they used 0 Fill or Random. CrystalDiskMark lets you choose in Settings → Test Data."
Old HDD Health Check Before Backup
Using CDM to sense drive performance
"I have an old 2 TB HDD I use for backups. I ran CrystalDiskMark with a 1 GiB test to see current read/write. I got about 140 MB/s sequential read and 130 MB/s write, which is normal for that drive. I also use CrystalDiskInfo to monitor SMART. If the benchmark had been much lower than before, I’d consider replacing the drive. For HDDs, don’t expect NVMe-like numbers; the benchmark is useful to establish a baseline and spot big drops over time."
Video: NVMe vs SATA in CrystalDiskMark
You can add a short comparison video in the vd/ folder (e.g. nvme-vs-sata.mp4) to show how results differ.
Share your own experience: use CrystalDiskMark’s “Save as Image” or “Copy” to share results on forums. Always mention test size, profile (Default/NVMe SSD), and drive model for useful comparisons.
