F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Limits SSD 2.5" drives to 50% storage space.

Limits SSD 2.5" drives to 50% storage space.

Limits SSD 2.5" drives to 50% storage space.

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_Maddy__
Member
186
11-14-2021, 02:32 AM
#1
Hello, I recently assembled a new PC at the end of last year. It features just an M.2 SSD with a Crucial P3+ 2to, where Windows 11 is installed. Since then, whenever I download large files—usually games or updates—I experience frequent freezes lasting about ten seconds until the download finishes. This is quite frustrating. In the Task Manager, under the Process tab, the disk usage stays at 50% and never goes beyond it. Someone mentioned this might be normal after the SSD reaches half capacity. Currently, I have 747GB free on a 1.81TB drive. I turned off the write-caching policy. The Crucial storage expert confirmed the SSD is in good condition and has the latest update. I forced Gen4 mode on the M2_1 slot. Running chkdsk and sfc scannow via Command Prompt showed everything is fine. What should I try next?
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_Maddy__
11-14-2021, 02:32 AM #1

Hello, I recently assembled a new PC at the end of last year. It features just an M.2 SSD with a Crucial P3+ 2to, where Windows 11 is installed. Since then, whenever I download large files—usually games or updates—I experience frequent freezes lasting about ten seconds until the download finishes. This is quite frustrating. In the Task Manager, under the Process tab, the disk usage stays at 50% and never goes beyond it. Someone mentioned this might be normal after the SSD reaches half capacity. Currently, I have 747GB free on a 1.81TB drive. I turned off the write-caching policy. The Crucial storage expert confirmed the SSD is in good condition and has the latest update. I forced Gen4 mode on the M2_1 slot. Running chkdsk and sfc scannow via Command Prompt showed everything is fine. What should I try next?

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TropicalKoala
Junior Member
7
11-14-2021, 02:43 AM
#2
Performance is disappointing. Maybe switch to a different M2 slot or simply reinsert the SSD. Speeds at the random end are lower than what an HDD would achieve.
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TropicalKoala
11-14-2021, 02:43 AM #2

Performance is disappointing. Maybe switch to a different M2 slot or simply reinsert the SSD. Speeds at the random end are lower than what an HDD would achieve.

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carp3
Senior Member
572
11-15-2021, 06:23 PM
#3
Thanks for the update. The SSD setup remains consistent, but performance is still lagging compared to previous tests. I tried another M.2 slot and saw noticeable improvement (referenced below), though it’s still slower than what was achieved earlier. The speed page you shared provides more details. I’m still limited to 50% on Windows, and I haven’t found a fix for the slowdown. Could the issue lie with the motherboard itself? Are there other factors I should investigate before reaching out to MSI warranty support?
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carp3
11-15-2021, 06:23 PM #3

Thanks for the update. The SSD setup remains consistent, but performance is still lagging compared to previous tests. I tried another M.2 slot and saw noticeable improvement (referenced below), though it’s still slower than what was achieved earlier. The speed page you shared provides more details. I’m still limited to 50% on Windows, and I haven’t found a fix for the slowdown. Could the issue lie with the motherboard itself? Are there other factors I should investigate before reaching out to MSI warranty support?

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pa55w0rd
Member
181
11-15-2021, 11:55 PM
#4
Have you executed the "optimize and defrag drive"? "TRIM" can sometimes provide minor improvements.
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pa55w0rd
11-15-2021, 11:55 PM #4

Have you executed the "optimize and defrag drive"? "TRIM" can sometimes provide minor improvements.

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HorseyHay
Member
208
11-16-2021, 01:54 AM
#5
Also, did you opt for the quickest, direct CPU PCIe lane M.2 initially? That could point to a CPU problem. Z690-A Pro WiFi by MSI? Then the M.2 slot is the highest priority... the rest are handled via the motherboard chipset, as you noticed.
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HorseyHay
11-16-2021, 01:54 AM #5

Also, did you opt for the quickest, direct CPU PCIe lane M.2 initially? That could point to a CPU problem. Z690-A Pro WiFi by MSI? Then the M.2 slot is the highest priority... the rest are handled via the motherboard chipset, as you noticed.

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mastermaster99
Junior Member
9
12-04-2021, 07:40 AM
#6
Yes, it didn't assist. I used the CPU lane initially (m2_1). This morning I switched to m2_3 for testing.
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mastermaster99
12-04-2021, 07:40 AM #6

Yes, it didn't assist. I used the CPU lane initially (m2_1). This morning I switched to m2_3 for testing.

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yJaaoxD
Member
203
12-04-2021, 10:25 AM
#7
I understand why your disk space stays at 50% and can't exceed it. It seems you recently installed a second 2.5" SSD. The task manager displays the combined usage, showing one drive idle and the other at full capacity. That explains why the total reaches 50%. If I add more drives, the usage will surpass that limit. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but this appears to be an issue with your M.2 SSD.
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yJaaoxD
12-04-2021, 10:25 AM #7

I understand why your disk space stays at 50% and can't exceed it. It seems you recently installed a second 2.5" SSD. The task manager displays the combined usage, showing one drive idle and the other at full capacity. That explains why the total reaches 50%. If I add more drives, the usage will surpass that limit. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but this appears to be an issue with your M.2 SSD.