Games slowing down drastically, CPU peaking - PSU issue?

[sdas_]

Hi, my rig:
i7 3770k, gtx 660 (zotac synergy), 8GB ram, 2 HDD (1TB + 3 TB), 1 SSD (128 GB), 1 dvdrw on asrock z77 pro3. PSU is cooler master 500W.

Everything was absolutely fine until I installed the 2nd hard disk (3TB - I ran out of sata cables so used the dvdrw drive cable instead..don't need the optical drive as much). Things went for a toss since then...esp when playing games...starting ok but slowly slowing down (with words repeated etc)...alt+tabbing to task manager shows i7 3770k peaking out (!!!) - never hit even 25-30% before that due to fifa 14...nothing else going on...

funny part - disconnected the hard disk..but the problem persists!!

Is it a psu issue? Hard to believe just 1 hard disk screwing up the system so bad 🙁 esp when it's completely empty and am not even using it!!

FYI the new hdd is connected to the sata2 port as my motherboard has only 2 sata3 ports, used by the old 1Tb hdd and the ssd which runs os (win 7).

 

[chicken4thewin]

Can't see why there's a problem. Any other info?

 

[Pinhedd]

Hi, my rig:
i7 3770k, gtx 660 (zotac synergy), 8GB ram, 2 HDD (1TB + 3 TB), 1 SSD (128 GB), 1 dvdrw on asrock z77 pro3. PSU is cooler master 500W.

Everything was absolutely fine until I installed the 2nd hard disk (3TB - I ran out of sata cables so used the dvdrw drive cable instead..don't need the optical drive as much). Things went for a toss since then...esp when playing games...starting ok but slowly slowing down (with words repeated etc)...alt+tabbing to task manager shows i7 3770k peaking out (!!!) - never hit even 25-30% before that due to fifa 14...nothing else going on...

funny part - disconnected the hard disk..but the problem persists!!

Is it a psu issue? Hard to believe just 1 hard disk screwing up the system so bad 🙁 esp when it's completely empty and am not even using it!!

FYI the new hdd is connected to the sata2 port as my motherboard has only 2 sata3 ports, used by the old 1Tb hdd and the ssd which runs os (win 7).

It's definitely not a PSU issue.

PSU issues manifest themselves in two ways:

unexpected power loss

snap, crackle, and pop; often followed by magic blue smoke

Performance loss is in no way attributable to the PSU.

In many cases, unexplained increases in CPU usage can be attributed to either malware, or rogue antivirus software.

 

[cburke82]

Did you uninstall the CDRW drivers? possibly its that? cant think of why adding a HDD would do that. If you have anti virus do a scan and see if anything pops up.

 

[chicken4thewin]

Maybe try wiping the 3TB drive (after backing up the data) because the drive is corrupt/malpartitioned.