Constant High HDD Usage (New HDD)

[WoodyOfStoke]

Hey guys, i'm sure you've seen a lot of posts like this, and I was hesitant to give you all another one...

However after spending much time looking through forums I have not yet found the solution to my problem. I had my previous HDD for a couple of years and it had always caused me problems. Last week it began to seriously play up (stuck at 100% consistently), and I decided it was time to just replace the thing. I bought a new 1TB WD HDD and also replaced my ram.

However, I still get a consistent high disk usage when idle and when a process is running such as gaming. (ranging from 70-100%, averaging 90+).

I have tried all of the usual fixes:

- Disabled Superfetch, Windows Search & BITS
- Full malware scans that came up clean
- Factory reset of PC (on previous HDD)
- Disabling of all unneccesary background/startup proccesses

So i am at a blank, and am pretty tired of having issues with seemingly no fix or even proper diagnosis. At this point I feel there may be some kind of motherboard malware or something.

http://imgur.com/kzhbCbJ - Task Manager Screenshot

// I should also note that sometimes my CPU (i5 3570k) also sits at 100% when put under small loads (gaming) and can sometimes reach 40-50% usage even when idle


Specs:

750w PSU (not sure on brand)
ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Performance Motherboard
Intel i5 3570k
Geforce GTX 1070
8gb Corsair Vengeance RAM
1TB Western Digital HDD

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Welcome to the community, @WoodyOfStoke!

You have done an awesome job with the troubleshooting so far! Since the issue was present with your previous HDD and your newly acquired WD drive, I'd strongly recommend you try to resolve the issue by swapping the SATA cable and the SATA port where the hard drive is connected to the motherboard. This will easily help us determine whether or not, the HDD is the source of the problem. Another thing you should check is if you have the latest SATA controller & Chipset drivers installed for your mobo straight from the manufacturer's official website.
I'd also recommend backing up your data somewhere off-site before you proceed with the troubleshooting. This is the surest way to avoid any potential data loss in the process. Afterwards, it might also be a good idea to run the QUICK and EXTENDED tests from WD's Data LifeGuard Diagnostics for Windows. They will help us determine the health and SMART status of your WD drive.

Keep me posted! Hope this helps you!
SuperSoph_WD