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Memory & Storage Throughput Visualizer

Visualize modeled bulk read speeds across CPU cache, RAM, and storage. Watch as orbs loop continuously to demonstrate relative transfer times.

25 GB
1 GB10 GB100 GB1 TB
L1 Cache2,000,000 MB/s
Too fast to show
L3 Cache500,000 MB/s
Too fast to show
DDR5 RAM (1 channel)48,000 MB/s
DDR4 RAM (1 channel)25,600 MB/s
NVMe Gen 514,000 MB/s
NVMe Gen 47,000 MB/s
NVMe Gen 33,500 MB/s
SATA SSD550 MB/s
HDD160 MB/s

How to use this tool

  1. Pick the data size to read

    Use the slider to choose how much data the comparison should model reading, from 1 GB up to 1 TB. Larger sizes increase each loop time, making the gap between fast memory and slower storage easier to see.

  2. Watch the automatic animation

    The orbs start moving as soon as the visualizer loads, so there is no play button. Watch each orb loop at the read speed modeled for that memory or storage tier.

  3. Compare all nine rows

    Compare L1 and L3 cache, DDR5 and DDR4 RAM, NVMe Gen 5, Gen 4, and Gen 3 SSDs, SATA SSD, and HDD. Each row shows its modeled read throughput and the time needed for the selected data size.

  4. Use the result to plan or teach

    Use the visualization to justify why cache-resident working sets are worth optimizing, why swapping to disk is so costly, or why an SSD upgrade beats a memory upgrade for some workloads. Pair with the RAM Latency Calculator for exact DIMM timings.

About this tool

The Memory & Storage Throughput Visualizer animates how long it takes to move a selected amount of data through each modeled tier, from L1 cache up to a spinning HDD. The lanes use the displayed MB/s values and the data-size control to make bulk transfer gaps visible. It is a throughput illustration, not a random-access latency test.

Use it to teach why cache and memory bandwidth matter, why storage upgrades change bulk copy times, or why an SSD and RAM solve different problems. The visualizer uses representative reference speeds for cache, RAM, NVMe, SATA SSD, and HDD, so treat the relative gaps as a model and confirm hardware decisions with workload-specific benchmarks.

Modeled read throughput

The current rows use these rates:

  • L1 cache: 2,000,000 MB/s
  • L3 cache: 500,000 MB/s
  • Single-channel DDR5: 48,000 MB/s
  • Single-channel DDR4: 25,600 MB/s
  • NVMe Gen 5: 14,000 MB/s
  • NVMe Gen 4: 7,000 MB/s
  • NVMe Gen 3: 3,500 MB/s
  • SATA SSD: 550 MB/s
  • HDD: 160 MB/s

These are modeled bulk-read rates, not guaranteed device or CPU results.

When to use it

Use it to explain memory hierarchies to new engineers, compare bulk-copy tiers, or show why algorithm-level cache optimization matters.

Pair with the RAM Latency Calculator when you need DIMM timing in nanoseconds, and use a real benchmark when random I/O or application latency is the question.

Popular memory and storage comparisons

Reference articles about the memory hierarchy, storage tiers, and the latency concepts behind the modeled throughput rows.

L1 vs L2 cache
1 ns vs 3-4 ns and why L1 hits dominate
View details
L3 cache vs RAM
The 5x latency cliff that drives server perf
View details
DDR4 vs DDR5 latency
Why higher bandwidth doesn't mean lower latency
View details

Frequently asked questions

What does this visualizer measure?
It models bulk read throughput and transfer time for cache, RAM, SSD, and HDD tiers. The animation uses the configured MB/s values and the selected data size, so it is a scale illustration of moving data, not a measurement of single-request access latency.
Is NVMe SSD faster than RAM for this comparison?
No. The modeled DDR5 row reads at 48,000 MB/s, against 14,000 MB/s for NVMe Gen 5. NVMe offers persistence and much more capacity. This page does not measure random-access latency. To convert real memory-kit timings into nanoseconds, calculate RAM latency directly.
Why is HDD so much slower than SSD for bulk reads?
A spinning HDD has lower sustained throughput and mechanical seek overhead, while an SSD has no moving parts and can stream data much faster. The animation models that bulk-read throughput gap. Random-access latency is a separate workload and is not what these lanes measure.
Why does the visualizer include L3 cache?
L3 is a larger, often shared cache tier between the fastest per-core caches and main RAM. Including it makes the modeled hierarchy easier to compare, but the displayed values are throughput assumptions rather than a CPU benchmark.
Does the animation replace a latency benchmark?
No. It shows relative bulk transfer time using fixed modeled speeds. It does not measure cache misses, queue depth, random I/O, controller overhead, or single-request latency. Use a workload-specific benchmark when those details matter.
Does DDR5 have more throughput than DDR4?
The modeled single-channel values are 48,000 MB/s for DDR5 and 25,600 MB/s for DDR4. Real systems vary with channel count, memory configuration, and workload, so treat those rows as illustrative reference points rather than a hardware benchmark.

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