Downloading takes up all available space even though the storage device appears fine.
Downloading takes up all available space even though the storage device appears fine.
When downloading games on Steam or Epic Games the disk remains full and the download slows down significantly. I checked all options—drivers were updated, turned the device off and on, even brought it to a local store—but nothing worked. The system is running Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64 bit (version 10.0.22621), with an ASUS Prime Z690-P processor, Intel i7-12700K, RTX 3070 Ti, and other components listed. The case is iBUYPOWER Slate 5, and the PSU is a 750-watt 80+ gold unit. BIOS version is 1620.
It’s also being installed, which means more data is being generated, making things even more intense. This process runs with less drive and a smaller SLC cache compared to others, plus a slower MLC, so the cache is nearly full and now it’s having trouble.
It makes sense now. My old Crucial MX300 has DRAM, but its SLC cache is limited. It writes quickly—around 300MB/s or slightly higher for 10–15GB—and then drops to about 40MB/s, similar to a more powerful model.
It includes a 1gb lpddr3 storage with an adaptive SLC layer (each NAND chip has its own SLC, which expands when needed). Likely it holds around 16gb of SLC space, decreasing as capacity drops. For a more affordable yet solid drive from 2016, this performance is quite impressive.
Other users have confirmed their findings. If your system has been heavily upgraded and TRIM is turned off by accident, it might reduce performance compared to usual. Another chance is that the SSD firmware isn't optimized, or your operating system lacks proper IO chipset drivers, causing delays. Here’s how to verify each point:
1. Use PowerShell or command prompt to check if NTFS DisableDeleteNotify equals 0—this confirms TRIM is active.
2. If TRIM is working, download ADATA's SSD Toolbox and ensure your drive has the newest firmware.
3. Confirm you have the most recent chipset drivers from your motherboard’s site, or verify Armory Crate is fully updated.
This might look better, but I have 590 GB available on my SSD. I haven’t faced this issue before with my older PC, so I’m not sure why it’s happening now. Also, Steam updates or downloads automatically while I play games, and my computer sometimes crashes with a blue screen.
Yes, the small cache is completely full and is having trouble.