I’m having a very specific issue with a computer that a friend gave me. They’ve been dealing with frequent freezes, and I’m trying to figure out what’s going on.
Here are the specs:
AMD Ryzen 3 1200
ASRock A320M-HDV R4.0
nVidia GTX 1650
ADATA SU650 256 GB (SATA, not M.2)
Some random MS industrial PSU
Kingston RAM (it was swapped by my friend with brand new RAM, so I don’t think it’s the issue, and the freezing problem existed before the swap)
At first, the SSD usage was constantly at 100%, and the PC was barely usable. I tried a fix from this forum, which made the 100% usage not constant but still caused random spikes that freeze the PC during those moments.
I’ve got a fresh install of Windows 10 x64, and everything else is working fine. The main thing making me think the SSD is at fault is the fact that when I tried to update the firmware, there were no updates. I’ve found other people with the same problem, and the CrystalDisk benchmark shows terrible results. CrystalDisk Info screenshot (sorry about the screenshot format, I’m using my own PC for this post).
Also, whenever one of these spikes happens, I can hear a faint beep coming from the SSD. At first, I thought it was the PSU, but when I listened closely to the SSD, it’s definitely coming from there.
The PC freezes completely when the spike hits, and it can last anywhere from 1 second to 10 seconds. I suspect the SSD is dying, but I want to be 100% sure. Does anyone have suggestions on other things I could try? Could it be a software issue instead of a hardware one? Not entirely sure what’s going on here.
If others are experiencing the same issue with that exact drive, it’s pretty safe to assume it’s the drive itself causing the problem.
Do you know who made the drive? You mentioned there are no firmware updates, which suggests there may not be a fix coming, but maybe they are working on one that hasn’t been released yet.
Not to be rude, but at that size, the SSD is probably not worth fixing. You’ve already spent a lot of time and effort trying to troubleshoot it, and honestly, replacing it would be cheaper in the long run.
@maverick
It’s actually a favor for my friend. I know the PC isn’t the best, but it’s being used for light gaming (like Fortnite and Roblox) and office work.
The drive is 256 GB, and it’s only about half full. It’s mainly used for light gaming and office stuff, not even browsing the internet.
@Maggie
I get that, but honestly, you can get a cheap 512 GB SSD to replace it. Looking at the CrystalDisk info, it’s clear there’s something wrong. Spending more time on that small drive isn’t going to fix the issue. One other thing you could check is the cable, though. Swapping that out might help.
I wouldn’t say it’s completely useless. I actually keep my Windows on a 128 GB SSD because I prefer having Windows on its own drive. That way, I don’t have to worry about backing up everything when I reinstall Windows.
Did you check the drive using CrystalDiskInfo? Did it report any issues there? (By the way, I see you’re using the CrystalDiskMark Aoi edition, nice choice!)