Check the read/write speed of your hard drive

To check the read/write speed of your hard drive (especially relevant for SQL Server performance), you can use various methods depending on whether you're on Windows, Linux, or via SQL Server tools.

On Windows Server (SQL Server host)

Option 1: PowerShell (Quick & Built-In)

winsat disk -drive C

Replace C with your actual data drive letter.

Option 2: Performance Monitor (Built-in GUI Tool)

1. Run perfmon.

2. Add counters for:

   • PhysicalDisk → Avg. Disk sec/Read

   • PhysicalDisk → Avg. Disk sec/Write

   • PhysicalDisk → Disk Reads/sec

   • PhysicalDisk → Disk Writes/sec

Look for Avg. Disk sec/Read and Avg. Disk sec/Write. Values under 0.005 (5ms) are good.

Option 3: CrystalDiskMark (Third-Party)

• Download: https://crystalmark.info

• Run a benchmark on the drive (e.g., D: or E:).

• Focus on:

  • Sequential Read/Write (bulk operations)

  • Random 4K Read/Write (small transactions)