Question 100% disk usage while playing games

[Suzumi]

This is a problem I've been dealing with for years on two different computers across 2 different SSD's (adata su800 and samsung 960 evo) and one SSHD. It used to happen randomly, but now it specifically happens when playing games, some games doing it more than others. Whatever storage medium the game is installed on will go to 100% disk usage and completely freeze up the entire system for at least 10 seconds. I can't see what application is the direct cause as no monitoring software on windows can tell me what application is holding up the storage, only which has the highest transfer rate (not useful). The SSHD is even worse in that it sometimes doesn't recover and makes me have to hard restart the system. One thing I can note is that my 8 year old WD Blue 500gb does not have this problem, and since the current drive is an SSHD I feel like if the drive has some sort of flash inside it the system just doesn't like it.

Originally when I had the problem I was using an AMD 970 system. The problem didn't happen with a dramless SSD that I used to use. Now I use an intel H61 system, and the problem only started popping up after about half a year of using this SSD (the samsung one).

Specs if those help:
Intel Core i7 3770
16gb ddr3 (I dont remember what brand I think it's gskill)
Asus h61 motherboard that I pulled out of a prebuilt
bequiet purepower 7 650W
MSI geforce GTX 960 2gb
Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
Seagate Firecuda 2TB SSHD

The problem exists with the ssd in both IDE and AHCI mode.

I'm planning on building a new pc with actual modern parts in a month but I just want to get closure on this and maybe make my last month of using this pc a bit more tolerable, so any input helps.

 

[4745454b]

Does it happen when installing/downloading large files? Or only when gaming?

My first suggestion is to download win10 from MS website. Not a hack/crack copy from the net. You should be able to install it and run it without a code. Point it to your steam folder and try to play a game after you install drivers for GPU, NIC, Chipset, etc. Does it still happen?

 

[Suzumi]

Does it happen when installing/downloading large files? Or only when gaming?

My first suggestion is to download win10 from MS website. Not a hack/crack copy from the net. You should be able to install it and run it without a code. Point it to your steam folder and try to play a game after you install drivers for GPU, NIC, Chipset, etc. Does it still happen?

My windows install is from MS, activated and I've done it with more than 10 different installs (back when it started I used to reinstall a lot to see if that fixed it). I do not know whether or not I have chipset drivers (shouldn't windows automatically install them nowadays?), so I will try that. But I believe once with chipset drivers the problem still existed.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I can't see what application is the direct cause as no monitoring software on windows can tell me what application is holding up the storage, only which has the highest transfer rate (not useful).

Task Manager shows the percentage of disk usage for each running process.

I do not know whether or not I have chipset drivers (shouldn't windows automatically install them nowadays?)

no.
Windows only loads default generic MS drivers.
it's possible you may see some updated options through Windows Update but they are not downloaded and installed automatically.

you would need to either get the latest available drivers from the board manufacturer or from the prebuilt distributor's support site.

 

[Suzumi]

Well after a few days I can say this: chipset drivers did nothing. I sorted task manager by disk going down and all I can see is different apps fighting for the ssd's attention while it is at 100% usage. There doesn't seem to be an outlier that is hogging it, almost as if it's holding itself up. Which also wouldn't make sense because this problem occurred with other ssd's. The last thing I can think of is that the only static variable in this whole thing is the GPU that's been the same since 2015, could that possibly be a problem here?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

the only static variable in this whole thing is the GPU that's been the same since 2015, could that possibly be a problem here?

i don't see how an issue with a graphics card could affect disk usage in different applications or in general.

chipset drivers did nothing

have you also updated SATA and other system drivers to the latest available?
and made sure you are using the latest available BIOS for this board?

 

[4745454b]

Try testing with CrystalDiskMark or ATTO? Maybe that will show something. I'm starting to think dying drive or hooked up wrong.

 

[Ralston18]

What game(s) cause the problem?

What else, if anything, is running in the background while gaming?

And I will add the suggestion to also use Resource Monitor or Process Explorer to learn more about what your system is doing or trying to do when disk usage goes to 100%. Use both tools but only one at a time.

Process Explorer - Microsoft, free:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer