I've got a solid PC build that's been reliable for a couple of years. Recently, I've run into a puzzling problem: my SSD usage seems to peak at 100% for no clear reason, which causes my computer to crawl to a near halt. I've checked Task Manager and Resource Monitor, but can't pinpoint any specific programs causing this. Despite keeping around 100 GB free on my 2TB JS600 SSD, I don't think it's a storage issue. I've even run multiple antivirus scans with no signs of malware. Strangely, my SSD seems to behave better while running demanding games like Cyberpunk or MH Wilds, but it's a nightmare when I close them. Anyone have any ideas about what's happening? Could there be a hardware issue with the SSD?
5 Answers
When your disk acts up like this, it usually indicates high read/write activities. Try timing the 100% usage bursts—if they last longer than a few seconds, it’s crucial to see what tasks are hogging the disk during that time.
It sounds like you're facing disk access issues, not disk space problems. So 100% disk usage means your drive is being read from or written to at max. Check the processes in Task Manager sorted by disk usage when this happens. And just a heads up, having only 100GB free on a 2TB SSD isn't great for performance, especially for SSDs without DRAM like the JS600. It's worth considering upgrading your SSD if it's under heavy load and showing these symptoms.
Exactly, OP. With SSDs like yours, keeping at least 20% free is generally better for performance.
You should definitely back up your important files just in case there's an underlying problem with the SSD. Better safe than sorry!
You should give WinDirStat a shot to see what’s really eating up your space on the drive. It’ll give you a clearer picture of all the files on your SSD and help you identify the culprit. If that’s not your thing, WizTree is a faster alternative you can try!
Totally agree, WinDirStat is a lifesaver! It showed me some hidden files I had no idea were taking up space.
This definitely sounds like the right approach for OP!
I had a similar problem due to the Windows news and interests feature, which also caused high RAM usage. It might be worth disabling that to see if it makes a difference in your performance.
Yeah, I noticed the same when my disk usage spiked. It usually happens when my system’s trying to read something, and keeping more free space definitely helps.