Performance drops during gaming on AM4 M.2 drive, fully active time remains stable.
Performance drops during gaming on AM4 M.2 drive, fully active time remains stable.
My M.2 NVMe SSDs seem to be experiencing performance issues, showing full active time in Task Manager only during gaming sessions. This typically occurs when using graphically demanding applications, though games like 3Dmark don’t trigger it. Sometimes the system restarts itself, but most of the time I need to power off the PC manually. Programs such as Control, Vampyr, and Half-life Alyx contribute to this problem. If the SSD that’s freezing is the secondary one, the system works normally unless I access files on it. When the C drive freezes, the entire OS freezes, though cursor movement remains possible. Performance metrics are stable overall. The issue began about two weeks ago, possibly longer before it became apparent. I’ve tried several fixes: fresh Windows installation, removing and reinstalling the SSD, updating BIOS, updating drivers, changing graphics card settings, enabling PCIe Gen 3, disabling C-states, using diagnostic tools like chkdsk, smart, Samsung Magician, WD Dashboard, DISM checks, swapping power supplies, removing USB devices (except keyboard and mouse), testing different M.2 slots, and updating firmware. I’ve also checked the SSD through various utilities. I’m at a loss for solutions, as everything worked perfectly two months ago. I’ve already invested over 12 hours troubleshooting and am skeptical about a repair shop handling a custom water-cooled build.
I chose to dismantle the computer completely and reassemble it, then cleared both storage drives. With Steam and Control installed it operated normally… until it stopped working. I added Gigabyte chipset drivers and the issue returned. I restored a previous system state and Control functioned again… until it crashed and now the machine won’t start and displays critical error messages.
Tested the 970 EVO (an m.2 NVME with reliable performance for over a year) in both top and bottom M.2 slots. It caused crashes when playing Control on a brand new Windows installation. I’m pretty sure the problem stems from either the X570 Aorus Master or the 5800x, so I’ll try installing a 5800x3d to check if that resolves the issue, assuming the IO die in my current 5800x is failing.
WELP. It looks like a fresh CPU might be the solution; I’ll need to conduct additional tests, but so far Control is functioning well and the problem hasn’t arisen. Unfortunately, it seems my 5800x was damaged, but at least it gave me a reason to upgrade. I’ll share my final thoughts later this week or if the issue continues.
The CPU didn't resolve the problem; it seemed to take almost the whole return period for it to reappear. From what I understand, the issue is connected to the M.2 PCIe controller on the motherboard. When using a traditional SATA SSD, the M.2 drives disconnect, causing an error like "the specified device does not exist." I think replacing the motherboard might be necessary.
You managed to fix the problem, it seems you're facing similar challenges in Alan Wake 2, Dead Space, and FF7R.