Top 10 linux benchmarking tools

Table of content

  1. Phoronix Test Suite
  2. Sysbench
  3. Geekbench
  4. Hardinfo
  5. Stress-ng
  6. IOzone
  7. Fio (Flexible I/O Tester)
  8. Glmark2
  9. UnixBench
  10. Bonnie++

 Phoronix Test Suite

Phoronix Test Suite

Phoronix Test Suite is the ultimate benchmarking tool for Linux, offering a fully automated and highly customizable performance testing framework. It evaluates CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and more, providing a detailed analysis with thousands of test profiles. Whether you need to compare hardware, analyze system stability, or fine-tune performance, this tool delivers.

Key Features of Phoronix Test Suite

  1. Multi-Component Benchmarking – Tests CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, and overall system performance.
  2. Automated Testing – Fully scripted execution, no manual intervention required.
  3. Thousands of Test Profiles – Includes synthetic and real-world benchmarks.
  4. Cross-Platform Support – Works on Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD.
  5. Custom Benchmarking – Create your own test profiles for specific workloads.
  6. Graphical & CLI Mode – Supports both GUI-based and command-line execution.
  7. Exportable Reports – Generates detailed HTML, JSON, and text reports.
  8. Parallel Execution – Runs multiple benchmarks at once for efficiency.

Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Category Tests Available What It Measures
CPU OpenSSL, C-Ray, PHPBench Floating-point, integer, encryption, compression
GPU Unigine Heaven, GFXBench OpenGL, Vulkan, gaming performance
Memory RAMspeed, Stream Memory bandwidth, latency, throughput
Disk I/O FIO, IOzone, PostMark Read/write speeds, random access, file system efficiency
Network Iperf, Netperf Data transfer speeds, latency, packet processing

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Phoronix Test Suite
    sudo apt install phoronix-test-suite -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install phoronix-test-suite -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S phoronix-test-suite # Arch Linux 
  2. List Available Benchmarks
     phoronix-test-suite list-tests 
  3. Run a Benchmark (Example: CPU Test)
     phoronix-test-suite benchmark c-ray 
  4. Compare Hardware Performance
     phoronix-test-suite result-file-to-json result.xml

Why Choose Phoronix Test Suite?

  • Most Detailed Performance Analysis – Covers every critical system aspect.
  • Industry-Trusted – Used by enterprises, developers, and enthusiasts.
  • Lightweight Yet Powerful – Runs efficiently on low-resource systems.
  • Real-World Workload Simulation – Unlike synthetic benchmarks, it mimics real performance scenarios.

 

Sysbench

Sysbench

Sysbench is a powerful yet lightweight benchmarking tool designed to stress-test the most crucial components of a system: CPU, memory, disk, and database performance. It is widely used to evaluate system efficiency under multi-threaded workloads, making it a favorite among system administrators and performance testers. Whether you're testing a high-performance server or a lightweight cloud instance, Sysbench delivers accurate, reproducible results.

Key Features of Sysbench

  1. Multi-Threaded Testing – Simulates real-world workloads by utilizing multiple CPU cores.
  2. Modular Benchmarking – Supports CPU, memory, disk I/O, and MySQL/PostgreSQL database performance testing.
  3. Customizable Workloads – Allows fine-tuned testing parameters, including thread count, execution time, and test complexity.
  4. Cross-Platform Compatibility – Works seamlessly on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
  5. Lightweight and Efficient – Minimal resource usage, making it ideal for quick performance evaluations.
Benchmark Type Tests Available What It Measures
CPU Prime number calculation, Integer operations Processor speed, multi-threading efficiency
Memory Sequential read/write, Block memory access Memory bandwidth, latency, and performance
Disk I/O File creation, Read/Write operations Disk throughput, seek time, and file system performance
Database MySQL/PostgreSQL transactions, Query execution Database transaction performance and query latency

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Sysbench
    sudo apt install sysbench -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install sysbench -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S sysbench # Arch Linux 
     
  2. Run a CPU Benchmark
     sysbench cpu --cpu-max-prime=20000 run
  3. Test Memory Performance
     sysbench memory --memory-block-size=1M --memory-total-size=5G run
  4. Check Disk I/O Performance
    sysbench fileio --file-total-size=10G prepare
    sysbench fileio --file-total-size=10G --file-test-mode=seqwr run
  5. Database Benchmarking (MySQL)
    sysbench oltp_read_write --db-driver=mysql --mysql-user=root --mysql-password=yourpassword --tables=10 --table-size=100000 run

Why Choose Sysbench?

Lightweight but Powerful – No unnecessary overhead, just pure performance testing.
Highly Configurable – Adjust parameters for in-depth performance tuning.
Industry Standard – Used by database administrators and system engineers worldwide.
Fast Execution – Generates results quickly, making it ideal for real-time benchmarking.

 Geekbench

Geekbench: The Ultimate Benchmarking Tool for CPU & GPU

Geekbench is a highly optimized, cross-platform benchmarking tool that measures the true performance of your system’s CPU and GPU. Unlike traditional benchmarks that focus on theoretical performance, Geekbench runs real-world tests to analyze how your hardware handles modern workloads. Whether you are testing a high-end workstation, a gaming laptop, or a smartphone, Geekbench provides an accurate performance score for single-core and multi-core tasks.


Key Features of Geekbench

  1. Cross-Platform Compatibility – Supports Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
  2. CPU Benchmarking – Evaluates both single-core and multi-core processor performance.
  3. GPU Compute Benchmarking – Measures graphics processing power with OpenCL, Vulkan, and Metal.
  4. Machine Learning & AI Workloads – Tests deep learning and neural network processing capabilities.
  5. Memory Performance – Assesses bandwidth, latency, and data throughput.
  6. Battery & Thermal Efficiency Tests – Helps in detecting thermal throttling and power efficiency issues.
  7. Geekbench Browser – Compare your scores with other devices worldwide.

Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Benchmark Type Tests Available What It Measures
CPU Single-Core Integer, Floating-Point, AES Encryption Processor efficiency per core
CPU Multi-Core Parallel processing, Multithreading Performance in heavily-threaded applications
GPU Compute OpenCL, Vulkan, Metal Graphics processing, AI performance
Memory Memory Bandwidth, Latency RAM speed, data transfer rate
Machine Learning TensorFlow, PyTorch, Core ML Neural network training and inference

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Download Geekbench

  2. Run CPU Benchmark

     geekbench5 --benchmark CPU
  3. Run GPU Benchmark

     geekbench5 --benchmark COMPUTE
  4. Upload & Compare Scores

    • Submit results to Geekbench Browser for global ranking and hardware comparison.

Why Choose Geekbench?

Real-World Performance Analysis – Simulates actual workloads rather than synthetic tests.
Multi-Platform Support – Works across desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.
Highly Accurate Scores – Generates reliable benchmarks for hardware comparison and tuning.
Ideal for Overclocking & Optimization – Helps fine-tune CPU and GPU performance.
AI & ML Ready – Supports modern deep learning benchmarks with TensorFlow and PyTorch.

 Hard Info

 

Hardinfo: A Powerful GUI-Based System Profiler & Benchmarking Tool

Hardinfo is a lightweight yet powerful system profiler that provides detailed hardware and performance analysis through an easy-to-use graphical interface. It is widely used for CPU, FPU (Floating Point Unit), and memory performance testing, making it an essential tool for system administrators, hardware testers, and Linux enthusiasts. Unlike command-line benchmarking tools, Hardinfo presents real-time system insights in a clear, structured format.


Key Features of Hardinfo

  1. GUI-Based Interface – No command-line complexities; everything is accessible via an intuitive interface.
  2. Comprehensive System Information – Displays details about CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, network, and peripherals.
  3. CPU & FPU Benchmarking – Tests integer, floating-point, and multi-threaded performance.
  4. Memory Performance Testing – Evaluates RAM speed, latency, and data transfer rates.
  5. Real-Time Monitoring – Provides live updates on system resource usage.
  6. Benchmark Comparisons – Compare results against popular hardware setups.
  7. Report Generation – Exports results in HTML format for documentation and analysis.

 Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Benchmark Type Tests Available What It Measures
CPU Performance Dhrystone, Whetstone, CPU Blowfish Integer, floating-point, and overall CPU speed
FPU Performance Raytracing, FFT, Mandelbrot Floating-point calculations, complex number processing
Memory Speed Memory Read/Write Tests RAM bandwidth, latency, and memory efficiency
System Information Hardware & Device Details Detailed system report including CPU, GPU, RAM, storage

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Hardinfo
    sudo apt install hardinfo -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install hardinfo -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S hardinfo # Arch Linux
  2. Launch Hardinfo
     hardinfo
  3. Run a CPU Benchmark
    • Open Hardinfo GUI > Navigate to Benchmarks > Select CPU Tests.
    • Click Run Benchmark and view results.
  4. Export System Report
    • Go to File > Generate Report.
    • Select HTML or Plain Text for detailed analysis.

Why Choose Hardinfo?

Beginner-Friendly & GUI-Based – No complex commands; perfect for new Linux users.
Comprehensive System Profiling – Covers every hardware component in your system.
Accurate CPU & Memory Benchmarking – Provides real-time performance insights.
Lightweight & Fast Execution – Runs without heavy system resource consumption.
Perfect for System Diagnostics – Ideal for hardware troubleshooting and comparisons.

 Stress - ng

 

Stress-ng: The Ultimate Stress Testing Tool for System Stability

Stress-ng is a highly advanced stress-testing tool designed to push your system to its absolute limits. Whether you want to test CPU performance, memory integrity, disk I/O, or thermal stability, Stress-ng can generate extreme workloads to uncover hardware weaknesses and ensure system reliability under heavy load. It is an essential tool for performance engineers, overclockers, and hardware testers who need to identify potential bottlenecks before deploying critical workloads.


Key Features of Stress-ng

  1. Extreme Stress Testing – Simulates real-world workloads to evaluate system robustness.
  2. Over 200 Test Modules – Includes CPU, memory, disk I/O, networking, and device testing.
  3. Highly Configurable – Allows custom workload parameters for specific stress conditions.
  4. Multi-Core Scaling – Supports multi-threaded tests to analyze parallel processing efficiency.
  5. Temperature & Power Monitoring – Helps detect thermal throttling and power stability issues.
  6. Ideal for Server & Embedded Systems – Ensures stability in cloud, IoT, and mission-critical devices.

  Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Stress Test Type Test Parameters What It Measures
CPU Stress Integer, Floating-Point, Matrix Multiplication Processor stability under intensive loads
Memory Stress Sequential & Random Access, Latency Tests RAM bandwidth, error handling, and data integrity
I/O Stress Read/Write Operations, File System Performance Disk throughput, latency, and endurance
Thermal Stress CPU Load Over Time, Power Consumption Overheating risks and thermal throttling
Device Stress USB, Network, GPU Stress Stability of connected hardware components

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Stress-ng

    sudo apt install stress-ng -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install stress-ng -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S stress-ng # Arch Linux
  2. Run a Basic CPU Stress Test

     stress-ng --cpu 8 --timeout 60s
    • Stresses 8 CPU cores for 60 seconds.
  3. Test Memory Stability

     stress-ng --vm 4 --vm-bytes 2G --timeout 120s
    • Allocates 2GB of memory across 4 virtual machines for 120 seconds.
  4. Simulate High Disk Load

     stress-ng --hdd 2 --timeout 90s
    • Runs 2 parallel disk stress operations for 90 seconds.
  5. Check Thermal Throttling

     stress-ng --cpu 4 --cpu-method matrixprod --timeout 300s
    • Runs a 5-minute CPU heat test to check for thermal throttling.

Why Choose Stress-ng?

Most Comprehensive Stress Testing Tool – Supports over 200 different stress tests.
Detects Hardware Weaknesses – Helps find issues before system failures occur.
Customizable Workloads – Fine-tune stress conditions for targeted analysis.
Ideal for Overclocking & Stability Checks – Ensures CPU and memory reliability under extreme conditions.
Server-Grade Testing – Used for cloud deployments, IoT devices, and enterprise workloads.

 IOZONE

IOzone: The Ultimate Disk I/O Performance Testing Tool

IOzone is a powerful disk benchmarking tool designed to analyze read and write performance across different file sizes, block sizes, and access patterns. It provides deep insights into how a storage system handles sequential and random operations, making it an essential tool for system administrators, database engineers, and performance testers. Whether you're optimizing a server, SSD, RAID setup, or network storage, IOzone delivers precise performance metrics that help in making data-driven decisions.


Key Features of IOzone

  1. Comprehensive Disk Testing – Evaluates sequential, random, and mixed read/write speeds.
  2. Customizable File & Block Sizes – Tests storage performance using varied workloads.
  3. Multi-Threaded Support – Measures I/O performance across multiple parallel processes.
  4. Cache & Buffered I/O Analysis – Identifies bottlenecks in file system caching and buffer performance.
  5. Cross-Platform Compatibility – Works on Linux, Windows, macOS, and embedded systems.
  6. Ideal for Enterprise Storage – Used for benchmarking SSDs, HDDs, RAID arrays, and NAS systems.

 Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Benchmark Type Test Parameters What It Measures
Sequential Read/Write Large file transfers, Linear Access Measures maximum sustained throughput
Random Read/Write Small file operations, Block Access Evaluates I/O latency and database performance
Buffered I/O File system cache enabled Tests how storage performance changes with caching
Direct I/O Bypasses OS Cache Identifies raw disk performance without software optimization
Multi-Threaded I/O Simultaneous read/write operations Assesses concurrent I/O processing efficiency

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install IOzone

    sudo apt install iozone3 -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install iozone -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S iozone # Arch Linux
  2. Run a Basic Disk Performance Test

     iozone -a
    • Runs automatic mode testing various file and block sizes.
  3. Test Read/Write Performance for a Specific File Size

    iozone -s 2G
    • Tests 2GB file read/write speeds.
  4. Simulate Database I/O Workload

    iozone -i 0 -i 1 -s 4G -r 64k -t 4
    • Runs random/sequential read/write tests on a 4GB file with 64KB block size across 4 threads.
  5. Generate a Detailed Performance Report

     iozone -R > report.txt
    • Saves benchmark results in a report file for analysis.

Why Choose IOzone?

Most Detailed Disk Benchmarking Tool – Supports every major I/O workload.
Customizable Workloads – Fine-tune parameters to match real-world usage scenarios.
Perfect for SSD, HDD, and RAID Optimization – Helps in storage tuning for maximum efficiency.
Industry-Standard for Enterprise Storage – Used in cloud computing, database tuning, and storage engineering.
Cross-Platform & Lightweight – Works on Linux, Windows, macOS, and embedded devices.

 FIO

Fio: The Ultimate Disk Performance Benchmarking Tool

Fio (Flexible I/O Tester) is an industry-standard benchmarking tool designed to measure real-world disk performance under varied and complex workloads. Unlike traditional benchmarks, Fio allows full customization, letting you simulate actual usage conditions for SSDs, HDDs, RAID arrays, and cloud storage. Whether you’re a storage engineer, system administrator, or performance analyst, Fio delivers highly accurate insights into how your disks perform under stress.


Key Features of Fio

  1. Multiple I/O Engines – Supports sync, async, mmap, and direct I/O for precise control.
  2. Direct & Buffered I/O Testing – Bypasses the OS cache for raw disk performance analysis.
  3. Custom Workload Simulation – Configure read/write patterns, queue depths, and thread counts.
  4. Multi-Threaded Benchmarking – Runs parallel I/O operations to test performance under heavy loads.
  5. Latency & Throughput Analysis – Measures I/O response times, random access speed, and disk efficiency.
  6. Supports Various Storage Devices – Optimized for local storage, networked storage (NFS, iSCSI), and virtualized environments.

 

Benchmark Type Test Parameters What It Measures
Sequential Read/Write Large block size, Direct I/O Measures sustained disk throughput
Random Read/Write Small block size, High queue depth Evaluates I/O latency and database workloads
Mixed Read/Write 70% read, 30% write, Multithreaded Simulates real-world application behavior
Latency Benchmark Single-threaded, Random I/O Tests disk response time and jitter
Queue Depth Scaling Varying QD levels (1-128) Measures parallel processing efficiency

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Fio

    sudo apt install fio -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install fio -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S fio # Arch Linux
  2. Run a Basic Sequential Write Test

    fio --name=write_test --filename=testfile --size=4G --rw=write --bs=1M --numjobs=1 --time_based --runtime=60s
    • Writes 4GB of data using 1MB block size for 60 seconds.
  3. Test Random Read Performance

     fio --name=rand_read --filename=testfile --size=4G --rw=randread --bs=4K --numjobs=4 --iodepth=32 --time_based --runtime=60s
    • Simulates random read operations with 4K block size across 4 parallel jobs.
  4. Analyze Mixed Workload Performance

     fio --name=mixed_test --filename=testfile --size=4G --rw=randrw --rwmixread=70 --bs=8K --numjobs=8 --iodepth=64 --time_based --runtime=120s
    • Runs a 70% read / 30% write test to simulate database performance.
  5. Generate a Detailed Report

    fio --name=report --output-format=json --output=benchmark_results.json
    • Exports benchmark data in JSON format for deeper analysis.

Why Choose Fio?

Most Configurable Disk Benchmarking Tool – Supports fine-tuned workload simulation.
Ideal for SSD, NVMe, and Enterprise Storage – Provides real-world performance insights.
Used by Cloud & Datacenter Engineers – Trusted for benchmarking AWS, Azure, and on-prem storage.
Scalable & Multi-Threaded – Tests high-concurrency workloads effectively.
Detailed Latency & Throughput Analysis – Perfect for storage optimization and tuning.

 Glmark2

Glmark2: The Ultimate OpenGL GPU Benchmarking Tool

Glmark2 is a lightweight yet powerful benchmarking tool designed to measure GPU performance using OpenGL rendering tests. It provides a real-world assessment of how well your graphics card handles shader computations, texture mapping, lighting effects, and 3D rendering. Whether you are a gamer, developer, or system optimizer, Glmark2 gives you deep insights into your GPU's capabilities and helps in comparing hardware performance across different setups.


Key Features of Glmark2

  1. OpenGL-Based GPU Benchmarking – Evaluates shader performance, rendering speed, and frame rates.
  2. Cross-Platform Support – Runs on Linux, Windows, and embedded devices.
  3. Multiple Rendering Tests – Includes shading, lighting, texturing, and buffer performance.
  4. Lightweight & Fast Execution – Provides quick results without heavy system resource usage.
  5. Compare GPU Performance – Helps in analyzing different graphics cards and driver optimizations.
  6. Customizable Testing – Adjust settings for anti-aliasing, texture size, and rendering effects.

 Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Benchmark Type Test Parameters What It Measures
Shader Performance Vertex, Fragment, Geometry Shaders Tests GPU processing efficiency for complex graphics
Texture Rendering High-resolution Textures, Filtering Evaluates texture quality and loading speed
Lighting & Shadows Dynamic Lighting, Soft Shadows Measures real-time lighting effects and rendering accuracy
Frame Buffer Performance Multi-Buffer Swapping, Offscreen Rendering Analyzes GPU memory bandwidth and rendering throughput
Anti-Aliasing MSAA, FXAA, Supersampling Determines smoothness and clarity of rendered images

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Glmark2 

    sudo apt install glmark2 -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install glmark2 -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S glmark2 # Arch Linux
  2. Run a Basic GPU Benchmark 

    glmark2
    • Executes a full GPU test and displays OpenGL performance scores.
  3. Test Fullscreen Mode

     glmark2 --fullscreen
    • Runs the benchmark in fullscreen mode for accurate FPS measurement.
  4. Run Offscreen Rendering Benchmark

     glmark2 --off-screen
    • Measures GPU performance without screen refresh rate limitations.
  5. Benchmark with Specific Settings

     glmark2 --visual-config 'rgb,depth,stencil,ms=4'
    • Enables depth buffer, stencil buffer, and 4x multisampling for testing advanced graphics effects.

Why Choose Glmark2?

Lightweight Yet Powerful – Runs efficiently on low-end and high-end GPUs.
Real-Time OpenGL Performance Analysis – Ideal for developers and graphics professionals.
Accurate GPU Comparison – Useful for benchmarking different drivers and hardware setups.
Supports Embedded Devices – Works on Raspberry Pi, ARM-based chips, and IoT GPUs.
Fast Execution & Quick Results – No long wait times; results appear instantly after testing.

 Unix Bench

UnixBench: The Ultimate Classic Benchmark for System Performance

UnixBench is a legendary benchmarking tool designed to measure the overall performance of a Unix-based system. It runs a series of intensive tests to evaluate CPU speed, memory efficiency, file system operations, and multi-process execution. Whether you are testing a dedicated server, a virtual machine, or an embedded system, UnixBench provides a standardized performance score, making it ideal for hardware comparisons and system tuning.


Key Features of UnixBench

  1. Comprehensive System Testing – Assesses CPU, memory, file system, and multi-tasking capabilities.
  2. Single & Multi-Core Performance – Measures how well the system handles single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads.
  3. Process Execution Analysis – Tests context switching and inter-process communication efficiency.
  4. File System Benchmarking – Evaluates disk I/O speed, read/write performance, and file creation overhead.
  5. Standardized Benchmark Scores – Provides a numerical performance index for easy comparisons.
  6. Lightweight & Fast Execution – Runs efficiently on low-end and high-performance machines.

 Deep Dive into Performance Testing

Benchmark Type Test Parameters What It Measures
CPU Performance Dhrystone, Whetstone Operations Evaluates integer and floating-point processing
Multi-Threading Forking, Parallel Execution Tests performance across multiple cores
Memory Performance Memory Read/Write Speed, Latency Measures RAM bandwidth and access times
Process Execution Context Switching, Pipelining Evaluates system efficiency in handling tasks
File System Performance File Read/Write, Disk Latency Analyzes disk throughput and I/O responsiveness

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install UnixBench

    sudo apt install unixbench -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install unixbench -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S unixbench # Arch Linux
  2. Run a Basic System Benchmark

     ./Run
    • Executes a complete set of performance tests and generates a benchmark score.
  3. Test Single-Core Performance

     ./Run -c 1
    • Runs the benchmark using only one CPU core.
  4. Evaluate Multi-Core Performance

    ./Run -c $(nproc)
    • Automatically detects and uses all available CPU cores for testing.
  5. Generate a Detailed Performance Report

     ./Run > benchmark_results.txt
    • Saves benchmark scores and system analysis in a report file.

Why Choose UnixBench?

Most Trusted Classic Benchmark – Used in academic research, enterprise testing, and system comparisons.
Lightweight Yet Powerful – Runs efficiently even on low-spec devices.
Accurate System-Wide Analysis – Measures CPU, RAM, and file system performance in one tool.
Great for Hardware Comparisons – Helps benchmark virtual machines, servers, and cloud instances.
Industry-Standard Testing – Ensures reliable performance insights across Unix-like systems.

 Bonnie ++

Bonnie++: The Ultimate File System Performance Benchmarking Tool

Bonnie++ is a highly optimized disk benchmarking tool designed to analyze file system performance with extreme precision. It is widely used for testing disk read/write speeds, file seeking efficiency, and metadata operations, making it an essential tool for storage engineers, system administrators, and performance testers. Unlike basic disk speed tests, Bonnie++ provides deep insights into how a system handles large file operations and high-concurrency workloads.


Key Features of Bonnie++

  1. Comprehensive Disk Benchmarking – Measures sequential and random disk I/O operations.
  2. File Writing, Reading & Seeking Tests – Evaluates disk performance in real-world conditions.
  3. Metadata Performance Analysis – Tests file creation, deletion, and indexing speeds.
  4. Multi-Threaded Benchmarking – Simulates concurrent file system operations to assess scalability.
  5. Optimized for Large Data Sets – Helps in tuning disk performance for enterprise storage solutions.
  6. Ideal for SSDs, HDDs & RAID Systems – Provides accurate insights into different storage technologies.

  Deep Dive into Performance Testing 

Benchmark Type Test Parameters What It Measures
File Write Performance Sequential, Random Write Tests disk throughput and latency for large file operations
File Read Performance Sequential, Random Read Evaluates disk speed under different access patterns
File Seeking Efficiency Small & Large File Seek Measures disk head movement and access time
Metadata Performance File Creation & Deletion Tests file system responsiveness for handling metadata
Multi-Threaded I/O Concurrent Read/Write Assesses parallel disk operations in multi-user environments

 

Installation & Usage

  1. Install Bonnie++

    sudo apt install bonnie++ -y # Ubuntu/Debian 
    sudo dnf install bonnie++ -y # Fedora
    sudo pacman -S bonnie++ # Arch Linux
  2. Run a Basic Disk Performance Test

     bonnie++ -d /tmp -s 4G -r 2G -u $(whoami) -n 64
    • Tests a 4GB file, with 2GB RAM, using 64 metadata operations.
  3. Measure File Read/Write Speed

    bonnie++ -d /mnt/disk -s 8G -u root
    • Benchmarks an 8GB file on a mounted storage device.
  4. Analyze Metadata Performance

     bonnie++ -d /data -n 128 -s 2G -u $(whoami)
    • Simulates a heavy file system workload with metadata operations.
  5. Save Benchmark Results to a Report

     bonnie++ -d /test -s 4G -u $(whoami) > bonnie_report.txt
    • Exports the test results for further analysis.

Why Choose Bonnie++?

Industry-Standard for File System Performance – Trusted by storage engineers and data center operators.
Detailed Disk & Metadata Analysis – Goes beyond simple read/write speeds to analyze file system operations.
Works with Any Storage Technology – Ideal for SSDs, HDDs, RAID arrays, and networked storage.
Highly Scalable & Multi-Threaded – Tests high-concurrency workloads efficiently.
Accurate & Reliable Results – Provides real-world disk performance insights.

 

 

FAQ

1. What are the best benchmarking tools for Linux?

The top Linux benchmarking tools include:

  • Phoronix Test Suite – Comprehensive system benchmarking
  • Sysbench – CPU, memory, and disk benchmarking
  • Geekbench – Cross-platform CPU & GPU testing
  • Stress-ng – Extreme hardware stress testing
  • Fio – Advanced disk performance testing
  • IOzone – File system read/write benchmarking
  • Glmark2 – GPU & OpenGL performance testing
  • Bonnie++ – Disk I/O and metadata performance testing
  • UnixBench – Classic CPU and system performance testing
  • Hardinfo – GUI-based system profiler & benchmark

2. How do I benchmark my Linux system?

Benchmarking depends on what you want to test:

  • CPU Performance: sysbench --test=cpu run
  • Memory Performance: sysbench --test=memory run
  • Disk Performance: fio --name=write_test --rw=write --bs=4K --size=1G --numjobs=4
  • GPU Performance: glmark2

3. What is the best tool for CPU benchmarking?

For CPU performance analysis:

  • Phoronix Test Suite – Multi-core performance analysis
  • Geekbench – Single-core & multi-core performance comparison
  • UnixBench – Classic CPU stress testing

4. Which tool is best for stress testing Linux?

For stress testing system stability:

  • Stress-ng – Pushes system components to their limits
  • Sysbench – CPU, memory, and I/O stress testing

5. How do I test my disk I/O performance?

Use disk benchmarking tools:

  • Bonnie++ – Tests sequential and random read/write speeds
  • Fio – Measures disk I/O under heavy workloads
  • IOzone – Analyzes file system performance

Example command using Fio:

fio --name=randread --rw=randread --bs=4K --size=1G --numjobs=4 --iodepth=32
    

6. What is the best tool for GPU benchmarking on Linux?

For graphics performance testing:

  • Glmark2 – OpenGL rendering and graphics benchmarking
  • Phoronix Test Suite – GPU-specific benchmarking tests

7. Can I benchmark Linux performance in a virtual machine?

Yes, but results may vary due to virtualization overhead. Recommended tools:

  • UnixBench – Works well in VM environments
  • Phoronix Test Suite – Allows cross-hardware comparisons
  • Fio – Benchmarks virtualized storage performance

8. How do I compare benchmark results?

Benchmarking tools that provide comparison features:

  • Phoronix Test Suite – Uploads results to OpenBenchmarking.org
  • Geekbench – Offers score-based comparisons across different hardware

9. How do I generate a benchmarking report?

Most tools allow exporting results to JSON, TXT, or HTML. Example with Phoronix Test Suite:

phoronix-test-suite result-file-to-json results.xml
    

10. Are benchmarking tools safe to use?

Yes, but stress testing tools like Stress-ng and Sysbench can overheat components if not monitored properly. Always keep an eye on:

  • CPU and GPU temperatures
  • Power consumption
  • System stability under heavy load

 

Comments are closed