Yes, a faulty power supply can lead to slow disk performance.
Yes, a faulty power supply can lead to slow disk performance.
I encountered a slow performance issue with my relatively new hard drive. Media skipped and froze during playback, leading me to suspect a faulty drive. After contacting WD support, they suggested the problem might stem from the power supply. Initially dismissing it, I removed the drive to record its serial number and connected it to an external reader with its own power source. The issue resolved completely. My setup includes a 650W PS, four HDDs, one SSD, and an M.2 drive with a 1060 and a 6600K. Have others faced similar problems? I’ve attached a speed test result, though it’s using a USB 2 adapter. The drive is a WD Blue 8TB WD80EAZZ.
33-36 MB/s suggests an external device connected via USB 2.0. It's improbable that a reliable power source, such as a good quality supply like the Supernova, would lead to these issues with the hard drive. Use diagnostic software like Aida64 or HWInfo to examine SMART data—look at start/restart counts, power-on statistics. If the drive is unstable enough to keep restarting, those metrics will rise. Check for bad sectors with tools such as scandisk and see if they exist.
That's about all you'll get through a USB 2 connection. It ain't got crap to do with the power supply.
He mentioned slow performance occurred during internal drives, linked to the power source, and improved after switching to an external drive reader.
The stats appear acceptable. The software from WD support has been downloaded and seems to be working properly. Media playback is now smooth. It might be related to the temperature—my drives have four HDDs close together with limited airflow, and they’re now placed in open space above the case.
I wouldn't consider read/write speeds in the 30s or below acceptable, even with spinning rust, since they should exceed 100MB/s over SATA—possibly reaching 200. The OP should test with a USB3 external enclosure and the latest CrystaldiskMark version to eliminate PSU problems. Until then, I'm treating what the WD representative said as unreliable.
I'll attempt to reinstall the drive and remove the other connected drives.
With the other drives removed, I’m seeing the same outcomes as when connected to the adapter. However, my computer is slow to move past the boot screen, similar to before Windows launches.