Question SSD Sequential Write Testing

[algran]

Hi, I have a question: I want to test some of my SSDs to find out their cache size and when the speed starts to drop (and by how much). For this purpose, I want to run a sequential drive fill. Anandtech mentioned this kind of tests in this article: "https://www.anandtech.com/show/16458/2021-ssd-benchmark-suite/". For this, I have two options:
1) AIDA64 Extreme linear writing test in the Disk Benchmark section of the tool menus (I have seen on Youtube a channel called "prossd" which used this);
2) HD Tune Pro File Benchmark (I've seen it used on ssd-tester.com). The latter, though, has issue: it gives me a message "I/O error. Test aborted" if I try to enter a file size higher than 200 GB. I've also thought about using the Erase function of HD Tune Pro.
However, despite the fact that I've seen Aida64 Extreme and HD Tune Pro used for this purpose at the above-mentioned addresses, I am not entirely sure how accurate these tools are and I would like to ask for some feedback.

Or, if someone has another suggestion, I am listening. Could anandtech indicate what software do they use for their own tests?

PS: Yes, I am aware that most of these write tests are data-destructive (except HD Tune File Benchmark which uses the empty space to write a file of a selected size to the drive). I make sure to run them on empty drives.

 

[Hail The Brain Slug]

Intels IOmeter tool works well. It's a little confusing to setup at first but once you get it figured out it's easy to run a continuous sequential write and have it logged out to a file. I've used it to test several SSDs to see cache size and direct to TLC speeds.

 

[algran]

Intels IOmeter tool works well. It's a little confusing to setup at first but once you get it figured out it's easy to run a continuous sequential write and have it logged out to a file. I've used it to test several SSDs to see cache size and direct to TLC speeds.

Well, true that, I did find it a bit confusing...

But just one thing to point out: before making other recommendations, I would kindly ask the posters to provide first some feedback on the two softwares I mentioned above, if possible. While I am obviously open to new suggestions, I would like to receive first some assessments on the two softwares I already have and I'm familiar with - because it would be easier to keep using them, if they are adequate for this purpose, than learning to use a new software.

And I have one additional question: one of the benchmark tools which always shows up in the reviews on tech websites is CrystalDiskMark. The highest size of the test file is 64 GB and the highest number of passes is 9. Does that mean that, if you select 64 GB and 9 passes, during the test, in the sequential 1 MiB rounds, CrystalDisk will read and write 540 GB of test data?

 

[NewMaxx]

Or, if someone has another suggestion, I am listening. Could anandtech indicate what software do they use for their own tests?

FIO. Tom's Hardware uses IOMeter. CrystalDiskMark is based on Microsoft's DiskSpd which you can get and run through a CLI. I wouldn't trust HD Tune or AIDA64, myself.