[SOLVED] Could My Storage Cause Games to Stutter?

[PabloPhreshcobar]

I have an issue with games stuttering, load times being so slow I disconnect from the server either as I'm loading or as soon as I get in (I'm 99% sure that's hard drive related) and my games stutter pretty heavily but the fps is usually around 60-90 when I'm not. It is an old hybrid(?) disc drive I kept from my old HP Pavilion PC I bought in 2012. (maybe late 2011 I can't remember) Everything else in my system is newer, though it is a budget build since I'm not one of the hardcore performance heavy players. I'm planning on getting an SSD for games, I just want to be sure if this will fix my issues. Games I play are Escape From Tarkov (load times are 10-15 mins), CoD Modern Warfare 2019, Rainbow Six Siege (runs perfectly fine)
Specs:
CPU: Ryzen 2200g
GPU: MSI RX 580
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-A320M-S2H
PSU: EVGA 500w
RAM: Two Crucial 4GB Single DDR4 2400 MT/s

 

[jojesa]

I have an issue with games stuttering, load times being so slow I disconnect from the server either as I'm loading or as soon as I get in (I'm 99% sure that's hard drive related) and my games stutter pretty heavily but the fps is usually around 60-90 when I'm not. It is an old hybrid(?) disc drive I kept from my old HP Pavilion PC I bought in 2012. (maybe late 2011 I can't remember) ....
....I just want to be sure if this will fix my issues. Games I play are Escape From Tarkov (load times are 10-15 mins), CoD Modern Warfare 2019, Rainbow Six Siege (runs perfectly fine)
Specs:
CPU: Ryzen 2200g
GPU: MSI RX 580
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-A320M-S2H
PSU: EVGA 500w
RAM: Two Crucial 4GB Single DDR4 2400 MT/s

The disk is definitely part of it, but no one can tell you exactly what is causing it without running some diagnostics.
It could be the RAM, since you mixed two sticks that were not tested to work together.
It could be your internet connection.
It could be drivers or drivers conflict.

 

[Darkbreeze]

7-8 year old hybrid drive? Yes, most likely. Especially if it doesn't happen except when loading maps, levels, textures, etc. If the problem only happens during times when something is loading, then it's likely that the drive is your problem. Especially given it's age.

There could definitely be some other issue though, or a compound issue from more than one root problem.

Usually though if everything works well and is smooth under normal conditions, then it's either drive or network connection related depending on what's happening at the time.

 

[PabloPhreshcobar]

7-8 year old hybrid drive? Yes, most likely. Especially if it doesn't happen except when loading maps, levels, textures, etc. If the problem only happens during times when something is loading, then it's likely that the drive is your problem. Especially given it's age.

There could definitely be some other issue though, or a compound issue from more than one root problem.

Usually though if everything works well and is smooth under normal conditions, then it's either drive or network connection related depending on what's happening at the time.

It only happens when loading new maps/textures. Like if I'm in an area long enough my frames smooth out and I run the game perfectly but as soon as I go into an area with new chunks it starts stuttering or even sometimes freezing entirely to the point I have to force power off my computer. Also, when I monitor my GPU/CPU/RAM percentages they're all almost never maxed out especially my cpu and gpu. I know storage has a shelf life, I'm honestly surprised it hasn't completely died on me knock on wood

 

[PabloPhreshcobar]

The disk is definitely part of it, but no one can tell you exactly what is causing it without running some diagnostics.
It could be the RAM, since you mixed two sticks that were not tested to work together.
It could be your internet connection.
It could be drivers or drivers conflict.

I was mostly looking for confirmation of a general idea before I spent more money on the PC being I'm only looking for decent FPS out of 1080p gaming (might do VR at some point idk). The RAM sticks are both the same so I figured they would work together but I could be wrong, and my internet speed is fast ping is usually 40 or less and my download speeds are about 12-15mb/s sometimes more. I know my mobo drivers are out of date (I'm on gigabyte's f10 when the newest is f50) but I can't find my flash drive to flash the bios atm. Would that have an effect or doesn't matter as much?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Given the age of the drive, a new, reliable replacement of some kind is a pretty damn good idea right now anyhow. If it can be an SSD, that's good. If it can be an NVME M.2 SSD, even better.

But honestly, ANY SSD would be miles better than any mechanical drive, even a hybrid one, and especially one that has not only been around the block but was probably present when the first house went up. LOL.

 

[PabloPhreshcobar]

Given the age of the drive, a new, reliable replacement of some kind is a pretty damn good idea right now anyhow. If it can be an SSD, that's good. If it can be an NVME M.2 SSD, even better.

But honestly, ANY SSD would be miles better than any mechanical drive, even a hybrid one, and especially one that has not only been around the block but was probably present when the first house went up. LOL.

Yeah I'm pretty sure this potato qualifies for a senior discount lmao, SSDs are cheap I just wanted a little more confirmation on what I already thought was the issue before I dumped any more money into my rig. As stated I'm just a 1080p gamer so all I want is stable 60FPS or more until I decide to really upgrade

 

[Darkbreeze]

Worst case scenario, it's NEVER a waste to stick an SSD in ANY system that doesn't have one. Whether for the OS and applications, or as a secondary drive for games and other files, it's the single biggest thing you can do to increase performance if you currently have a mechanical drive, than pretty much any other upgrade unless you're going from a REALLY, REALLY old system to a current gen platform.

Best case scenario, it's exactly the problem you are having and while I wouldn't be willing to bet the house, I'd definitely put a moderate bet on it.

 

[stonecarver]

I came across something today while trying to recreate how so many users on the site here report studdering , bsod, restarts, crashes all while Gaming. So today I studied the task manager and did watch a............." Microsoft System Reporting tool "............ peg Hard Drive usage to 80 to 100%, 3/4 down on the task monitor toward the bottom. I disabled it and computer instantly settled down.

 

[jojesa]

I was mostly looking for confirmation of a general idea before I spent more money on the PC being I'm only looking for decent FPS out of 1080p gaming (might do VR at some point idk). The RAM sticks are both the same so I figured they would work together but I could be wrong, and my internet speed is fast ping is usually 40 or less and my download speeds are about 12-15mb/s sometimes more. I know my mobo drivers are out of date (I'm on gigabyte's f10 when the newest is f50) but I can't find my flash drive to flash the bios atm. Would that have an effect or doesn't matter as much?

Definitely upgrade the disk.
You could get a 1TB Intel SSD 660p or 665p for around $100
It doesn't have to be some SSD with top speeds, 1000-1200 read write speeds will do, since we don't take advantages of faster speeds with daily tasks.
You won't see any differences in boot time or game loading going above.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Heck, any standard SATA SSD with 500mb/500mb would be fine for that matter. Still MILES better than any mechanical or hybrid drive.

As far as the BIOS is concerned, yes, ANYTIME there are issues with the BIOS firmware it COULD affect practically ANY piece, or EVERY piece, of hardware. If there are problems that you can't explain and there are BIOS updates available, then unless you have reason to suspect that you might have a board that tries to restart itself in the middle of the BIOS update, it is a good idea to be on the most recent BIOS version. If you have issues, such as with a PSU or bad board that are shutting off or restarting, then don't try flashing the BIOS as you could permanently brick it.