Determine max speed thruoghput of USB HDD


kelper

kelper

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Is there a way to find the theoretical throughput of my laptop USB 3.0 Laptop port and of my USB 3.0 USB HDD so I can see if there is a bottleneck and whether a newer HDD might be faster.

So, to clarify, I don't want to measure the speed, I want to know what each USB thing is capable of and which versions of the USB protocols it supports.
 

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    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
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If you grab an external SSD that supports USB3.0 and beyond and UASP and your system has proper UASP driver installed, you will get around 500-560MB/s raw transfer speeds over USB3.0.

I have done this many times. No need to benchmark anything.
 

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    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3
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    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
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    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
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    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
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    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)
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    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
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    Asus PRIME Z270-A
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    850W
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But there are several versions of USB 3. I'm not sure which I have. I did say I didn't need to benchmark! But I only get 90 MB per second.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8524
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8524
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
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    Brave
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    Webroot
With what external device?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
    Motherboard
    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    iGPU Vega 10
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    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" FHD (built-in) + 14" Lenovo Thinkvision M14t (touch+pen) + 32" Asus PB328
    Screen Resolution
    FHD + FHD + 1440p
    Hard Drives
    Intel 660p m.2 nVME PCIe3.0 x2 512GB
    PSU
    125W(Dock)/65W(Travel Adapter)
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    Thinkpad / Logitech MX Keys
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    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
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    SecureBoot: Enabled
    TPM2.0: Enabled
    AMD-V: Enabled
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z270-A
    Memory
    32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" 10-bit Asus PB328Q
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD 2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB ADATA SX8000NP NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4
    PSU
    850W
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
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    Logitech MX Keys
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    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
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    AC WiFi Card
A Maxtor M3 PPortable 1TB
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8524
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8524
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
Then your speed is really good.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
    Motherboard
    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    iGPU Vega 10
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" FHD (built-in) + 14" Lenovo Thinkvision M14t (touch+pen) + 32" Asus PB328
    Screen Resolution
    FHD + FHD + 1440p
    Hard Drives
    Intel 660p m.2 nVME PCIe3.0 x2 512GB
    PSU
    125W(Dock)/65W(Travel Adapter)
    Keyboard
    Thinkpad / Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    SecureBoot: Enabled
    TPM2.0: Enabled
    AMD-V: Enabled
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z270-A
    Memory
    32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" 10-bit Asus PB328Q
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD 2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB ADATA SX8000NP NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4
    PSU
    850W
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    AC WiFi Card
After a little research, I find that "USB 3.2 Gen 1, also known as USB 3.0, supports a maximum data transfer rate of 5 Gbps (gigabits per second) or approximately 625 MBps (megabytes per second).

So I might benefit from an external SSD with same or higher spec. Isn't it crazy that 3.2 Gen 1 is the same as 3.0?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8524
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8524
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
That speed is good for that type of USB powered HDD mechanical drive, no worries.
The limitation is the type of drive not the version of USB 3.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
What I see with speeds in computing, and learned a lot time ago in a course at the local college and at work, is the use of B and b. Most speeds rated at Xbps are bits per second, not B for Bytes.
8 bits = 1 Byte.
K = Kilo M = Mega G = Giga T = Tera
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe M.2
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 4TB Seagate HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
kelper said:
After a little research, I find that "USB 3.2 Gen 1, also known as USB 3.0, supports a maximum data transfer rate of 5 Gbps (gigabits per second) or approximately 625 MBps (megabytes per second).

So I might benefit from an external SSD with same or higher spec. Isn't it crazy that 3.2 Gen 1 is the same as 3.0?
Click to expand...
You'll get max 500MB/s in practice on USB3.0. I haven't tested latest USB speeds though...The limitation is in the actual disk drive type and speed though.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
    Motherboard
    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    iGPU Vega 10
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" FHD (built-in) + 14" Lenovo Thinkvision M14t (touch+pen) + 32" Asus PB328
    Screen Resolution
    FHD + FHD + 1440p
    Hard Drives
    Intel 660p m.2 nVME PCIe3.0 x2 512GB
    PSU
    125W(Dock)/65W(Travel Adapter)
    Keyboard
    Thinkpad / Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    SecureBoot: Enabled
    TPM2.0: Enabled
    AMD-V: Enabled
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z270-A
    Memory
    32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" 10-bit Asus PB328Q
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD 2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB ADATA SX8000NP NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4
    PSU
    850W
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    AC WiFi Card
SlicEnDicE said:
The limitation is in the actual disk drive type and speed though.
Click to expand...
Quite possible if comparing 5400RPM and 7200RPM HDDs. Most of the 2.5" HDDs I've work with on Notebooks have been 5400RPM but the 3.5" on Desktops usually have been 5400RPM on older ones and 7200RPM on newer ones. NAS units also vary as to what drives are used. Capacities of the HDDs vary between the 2 speeds. The speed should be on the drive label but have had to look up the model number for some, especially for 2.5" which has a smaller label. My Desktops with SSD main drives seem to like the faster HDDs for data storage.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe M.2
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 4TB Seagate HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Berton said:
Quite possible if comparing 5400RPM and 7200RPM HDDs. Most of the 2.5" HDDs I've work with on Notebooks have been 5400RPM but the 3.5" on Desktops usually have been 5400RPM on older ones and 7200RPM on newer ones. NAS units also vary as to what drives are used. Capacities of the HDDs vary between the 2 speeds. The speed should be on the drive label but have had to look up the model number for some, especially for 2.5" which has a smaller label.
Click to expand...
The speed isn't even determined that much by the capacity but the amount of platters in the disk and ofc the rotation speed. A well optimized drive can read and write from/to all layers at the same time in one revolution.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
    Motherboard
    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    iGPU Vega 10
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" FHD (built-in) + 14" Lenovo Thinkvision M14t (touch+pen) + 32" Asus PB328
    Screen Resolution
    FHD + FHD + 1440p
    Hard Drives
    Intel 660p m.2 nVME PCIe3.0 x2 512GB
    PSU
    125W(Dock)/65W(Travel Adapter)
    Keyboard
    Thinkpad / Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    SecureBoot: Enabled
    TPM2.0: Enabled
    AMD-V: Enabled
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z270-A
    Memory
    32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" 10-bit Asus PB328Q
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD 2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB ADATA SX8000NP NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4
    PSU
    850W
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    AC WiFi Card
kelper said:
After a little research, I find that "USB 3.2 Gen 1, also known as USB 3.0, supports a maximum data transfer rate of 5 Gbps (gigabits per second) or approximately 625 MBps (megabytes per second).

So I might benefit from an external SSD with same or higher spec. Isn't it crazy that 3.2 Gen 1 is the same as 3.0?
Click to expand...

Hey.
1) About the real speed of your system , you can benchmark it e.g with mini tool partition wizard.
2) I have an external SSD NVME with a max speed up to 1.1GB/s (benchmark). But with the small size files its little bit slow.
Small files are the worst case for any mass work. Also check the policy settings of your disks.

1711209075909.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows defender
kelper said:
Is there a way to find the theoretical throughput of my laptop USB 3.0 Laptop port and of my USB 3.0 USB HDD so I can see if there is a bottleneck and whether a newer HDD might be faster.

So, to clarify, I don't want to measure the speed, I want to know what each USB thing is capable of and which versions of the USB protocols it supports.
Click to expand...
To take advantage of the full capability of a USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) link, use a SATA SSD, not any HDD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
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