PC performance decreases while downloading and occasionally afterward.
PC performance decreases while downloading and occasionally afterward.
Hi, I have a computer that's 8 years old with these details:
CPU : AMD FX 6300
Memory : Gigabyte 78LMTUSB3 Rev 6 - F2 (Latest BIOS)
RAM : Kingston HyperX 4GB x2 1333MHz DDR3
GPU: MSI RX 480 Gaming X 4G
Power Supply : Cooler Master MWE 550W V2 Bronze
Storage : Samsung 850 SSD 128GB + WD Blue 1TB
Operating System : Windows 10 Pro x64
My computer is becoming much slower when downloading. Sometimes this slowdown lasts for a while. This issue has started recently. I have a 100Mbps internet connection. In the task manager, network activity is showing at 100% during downloads.
Possible causes could be:
1) Corrupted drivers
2) RAM
3) Processor
4) HDD
5) Motherboard
6) Virus
So far I've updated Windows, run chkdsk/sfc, reinstalled the motherboard and GPU drivers, tested RAM with MemTest86/Windows Memory Diagnostic, and checked the HDD using Western Digital Dashboard/SeaTools and ran a quick scan with Malwarebytes. I plan to do a full scan soon.
I want to exclude the HDD. Here are the screenshots from CrystalDiskInfo. Please let me know if my HDD is showing any signs of failure. I will also run a small processor test with Prime95 to check the CPU soon.
Thanks.
What files are you obtaining? From commercial servers or torrents?
How substantial are the file sizes, measured in MB or GB?
Are you transferring files to a 128GB SSD with less than 20% available space?
Do you immediately unzip or unpack large files after downloading them?
Which additional applications or processes are active in the background?
Your 1TB WD Blue drive seems to be running at a slower speed if it's a WD10EZRZ or WD10EZEX model, rather than a slower SMR drive, so you shouldn’t face significant delays there.
https://products.wdc.com/library/SpecShe...pc-hdd.pdf
Is your ISP throttling your downloads if you surpass a specific data usage threshold during peak times? PlusNet cut my download speeds in half during evening peak hours, even though they advertised "unlimited" downloads. This issue began a week after I joined PlusNet broadband. It didn’t meet my expectations.
Are you employing a VPN that could limit bandwidth if they identify very large downloads?
Have you executed CHKDSK in read-only mode (without /R or /F options) on both storage devices?
Have you checked Task Manager to identify any applications consuming unusually high CPU resources?
I operate an Intel i5-4670K (similar to your FX 6300) and have successfully downloaded large files without any issues.
Various sizes available from 800MB to 5GB. Only NTFS partitions are used, so the file size limit doesn't apply here.
Downloads occur on SATA HDD with 668GB free space available.
No, all files are uncompressed.
Excluding default Microsoft processes, AMD Radeon Software, Realtek HD Audio Manager, Microsoft Teams, One Drive, APC PowerChute (UPS Software).
This issue has emerged only recently. My WD Blue HDD is six years old.
No, there is no throttling detected.
No, no VPN connections are active.
No, I executed chkdsk with /F on both drives and sfc with /scannow enabled. I plan to run the defrag tool as it displays 22% fragmentation on the WD Drive.
I've verified nothing unusual; no apps are showing high CPU usage. Only network activity is at 100%. After reinstalling the network driver, scanning for viruses, and running Prime95 for ten minutes, I didn't observe any issues during CPU stress tests.
Yes, unfortunately this is happening only recently. I haven't experienced this before. The sole change made was to the PSU. Since I play games and don't notice the problem while playing, and it didn't appear during stress tests with Prime95, I've excluded the PSU as a cause. I'll continue running more Prime95 tests now.
Use the wd software and test the HDD on both low and high speeds. Also check download and upload speeds in peer-to-peer mode. High upload speeds can be a problem.
There seems to be a recent change that might be responsible. I question if installing a new PSU was the cause of the issue. You might want to try transferring torrents onto a fast USB3 stick to bypass the 1TB hard drive, assuming this could help. I’m not sure if defragmenting the hard disk will significantly improve things, but it’s better than nothing. Does the fault appear only when torrenting? It could heavily tax an older quad-core CPU without hyper threading. Would you consider setting a reasonable maximum number of simultaneous torrents, perhaps between four and eight? I’d suggest limiting the upload speed to about ten percent of your network’s capacity. If your torrent client has Autospeed or a speed test option, use it to verify your upload rates. Good luck with your torrenting without a VPN. After all, you’re only downloading legitimate files and distributions.
It's not only about torrents; regular HTTP downloads would also work. I put this PSU in January 2023, and it's been seven months now. The issue began only recently. Looking through many discussions, it seems my network controller, SATA controller, or the HDD itself might be the cause. I tried using an outdated network driver, but that didn<|pad|> a version to test. If that fails, I plan to upgrade to an SSD since my game load times have gotten much slower over time. As someone who is sensitive to noise, it bothers me when it gets loud. If the SSD doesn't help, it might be time to let this old setup go. 😀