Slow HDD read/write speed

[Michael_355]

I recently got a brand new computer which i built myself, for the first few weeks it was running very smoothly but for the last 3 days suddenly it has become extremely slow and when i checked the hard drive in the performance tab in task manager, the read speed was staying around 1 MB or lower at all times and write speed was even slower

My computer specs are as follows
Motherboard: MSI b85-g43 gaming motherboard
RAM: 8 GB hyperx fury
GPU: MSI geforce gtx 960 4 GB
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1 TB st1000dm003

any possible solutions would be appreciated

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Welcome to the TH Community, @Michael!

I'd recommend you backup all your data from the hard drive somewhere off-site (to an external drive, for example) before proceeding with the troubleshooting! This is the surest way to avoid any potential data loss. Once you do that, try swapping the SATA cable and the SATA port where the HDD is connected to on the motherboard. If the issue is still present, you should definitely run the hard drive manufacturer's brand-specific diagnostic utility and determine the health and SMART status of the HDD.

Keep me posted! Hope it helps!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Michael_355]

Welcome to the TH Community, @Michael!

I'd recommend you backup all your data from the hard drive somewhere off-site (to an external drive, for example) before proceeding with the troubleshooting! This is the surest way to avoid any potential data loss. Once you do that, try swapping the SATA cable and the SATA port where the HDD is connected to on the motherboard. If the issue is still present, you should definitely run the hard drive manufacturer's brand-specific diagnostic utility and determine the health and SMART status of the HDD.

Keep me posted! Hope it helps!
SuperSoph_WD

Thanks for the quick reply!
I have already tried replacing the SATA cables and trying them in both motherboard slots, but nothing happened. i clicked on the link you posted and downloaded the diagnostics tool for my drive and all the tests seemed to pass. any other suggestions?

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

What about changing the computer and plugging the HDD in another system to see how it will get recognized there, @Michael?
Another thing you should check is your SATA controller & Chipset drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's official website. Make sure you have manually installed the latest ones from there. While on it, you might as well see if you have the latest BIOS version for your mobo, too.

Let me know how it goes!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Michael_355]

What about changing the computer and plugging the HDD in another system to see how it will get recognized there, @Michael?
Another thing you should check is your SATA controller & Chipset drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's official website. Make sure you have manually installed the latest ones from there. While on it, you might as well see if you have the latest BIOS version for your mobo, too.

Let me know how it goes!
SuperSoph_WD

thanks for the reply again. I put my HDD into my brothers computer and it was the same which means the hard drive is causing the problem, I also already had the most recent drivers so that wasnt the problem. I feel like it must be a faulty hard drive even though it is new. I might have to look into getting it replaced unless you have any other suggestions.

Thanks for the help anyway I appreciate it a lot

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there again, @Michael!

This is exactly why troubleshooting a possibly faulty hardware in multiple systems is a recommended way to find out what is the source of the issue. Since you have established that it's indeed the HDD, then you should check the warranty of the product first. If it is still covered, get in touch with the reseller's/manufacturer's customer support and send an RMA request to get a replacement from them.
For more details on the whole RMA procedure, check the HDD manufacturer's official website and find there contacts there.

Best of luck! Hope I was helpful!
SuperSoph_WD