HDAT2 vs Prime95
HDAT2
hdat2.comPrime95
mersenne.orgSide by side
| Figure | HDAT2 | Prime95 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Hardware Diagnostic Software | 7.7 (#8) | 7.6 (#13) |
| Purpose | HDAT2 tests and diagnoses ATA, ATAPI, SATA, NVMe, SSD and SCSI/USB devices. | Prime95 is free Mersenne prime search software used to participate in GIMPS. |
Plans
In their own words
HDAT2
HDAT2 is a drive-testing and diagnostic program for ATA, ATAPI, SATA, NVMe, SSD, and SCSI/USB devices. Its device-level tools test drives and can repair bad sectors on detected devices. File-system testing covers MBR/GPT, boot data, and directories on FAT12/16/32, exFAT, and NTFS. SMART functions are available for ATA/SATA, SCSI, and NVMe drives. Capacity controls include SET MAX and Device Configuration Overlay, with options to restore full capacity; supported SATA and NVMe devices can also be switched between 512e logical sectors and 4Kn. HDAT2 detects devices on AHCI and some RAID controllers, and USB devices through USB ASPI or BIOS when supported. The main program requires a real DOS system booted from USB, floppy disk, or CD/DVD. A Windows 32/64-bit demo is available, but it operates only at drive level, omits file-level functions, and aborts almost all commands while simulating conflicts. The freeware plan is free, for one or more machines, with redistribution without profit; it is provided as-is without warranty.
Prime95
Prime95 is free Mersenne-prime search software for people who want to contribute computing work to GIMPS. It can also put a sustained workload across CPU cores to check processor and L1, L2, and L3 cache stability. For project tasks, Prime95 contacts PrimeNet for work; users can monitor computer progress and manage assignments remotely through the account’s CPUs page. Listed work includes PRP and Lucas-Lehmer tests, P-1 and ECM factoring, and trial factoring. Downloads include Windows, Linux, Mac OS X command-line, and FreeBSD builds. Administrators can choose a GUI-less Windows service build, which is intended for Windows Server experts. The source archive covers Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and Mac OS X, though the code is described as non-portable. Version 30.3 introduced a dialog for limiting resource use. GIMPS participation is free and open internationally. The license permits indefinite free use on computers users own or are authorized to use, and provides the software as-is without warranty.