Why has my Crucial BX500’s download speed dropped, and how can I check its health?
I bought a Crucial BX500 240GB 3D NAND SATA SSD in January last year for installing games, since my C: drive was running out of space and these…
SSD performance
What should I upgrade to fix PC stuttering, high temperatures, and slow SSD performance?
I built this PC around 2020 with an Asus TUF Gaming B550M-Plus motherboard, a Ryzen 7 3700X using the stock cooler, 32GB of G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 memory, an…
Why Has My SATA SSD’s Download Speed Dropped So Much?
I bought a Crucial BX500 240GB 3D NAND SATA SSD last January for games that take up a lot of storage space. When it was new, downloads ran…
Will upgrading from a 250GB SSD to a 1TB drive reduce performance?
I've been using a 250GB SSD for a while and want to upgrade to a 1TB model. I've heard that larger-capacity SSDs might be slower, so I'm wondering…
Did defragging my SSD slow down my Windows 11 laptop?
I used Glary Utilities to optimize and defragment the SSD in my mid-range Windows 11 laptop. Since then, installing software and opening programs seem noticeably slower, although the…
New PC downloads at only 35 Mbps despite having a fast PCIe 5.0 SSD
I just finished building a new PC, and downloads are topping out around 35 Mbps even though my Wi‑Fi connection seems good and the system has a Gen…
How much worse is a hard drive than a basic SSD for gaming?
My 1TB PNY SATA SSD appears to be failing. It still reads at around 500 MB/s, but write performance is unreliable: downloads can max out the disk and…
Is a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD worth it for a gaming PC?
I'm building a new PC with an ASUS TUF Gaming B850-E motherboard and an XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT. PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives are noticeably more expensive…
Are PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs worth it for a gaming PC?
I'm building a new PC with an ASUS TUF Gaming B850-E motherboard and an XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT. PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives are noticeably more expensive than…
Is an NVMe SSD worth the extra cost over a SATA SSD?
I still need to buy a drive for my operating system and am trying to decide between an NVMe SSD and a regular 2.5-inch SATA SSD. NVMe models…
Are DRAMless NVMe SSDs good enough for gaming and everyday use?
I'm putting together a midrange PC and keep seeing people argue that an SSD needs onboard DRAM, while others say modern DRAMless drives work perfectly well. My usage…
Why Is My Download Speed Much Slower in Steam Than in the Riot Client?
My download speed varies a lot depending on the game client. The Riot client can reach around 50 MB/s, while Steam has occasionally reached that speed but usually…
Are DRAMless NVMe SSDs good enough for gaming and everyday use?
I'm putting together a midrange PC and trying to decide whether paying extra for an SSD with onboard DRAM is worthwhile. My typical use is gaming, watching videos,…
Why Does Steam Download More Slowly Than the Riot Client?
My downloads reach around 50 MB/s in the Riot client, and Steam has occasionally reached that speed too, but it usually stays between 10 and 20 MB/s, averaging…
Why do some games take several minutes to load the first time after startup?
After starting my PC, launching certain games such as Victoria 3 and Factorio can take up to eight minutes. If I close the game and launch it again,…
How Do SATA SSDs Differ From NVMe SSDs?
I understand that both SATA and NVMe drives use flash memory, but I'm unclear about what makes SATA SSDs significantly slower. Do SATA SSDs use different storage technology,…
Why do some games take several minutes to load the first time after startup?
When I launch certain games, especially Victoria 3 and Factorio, the first load after starting my PC can take up to eight minutes. If I close the game…
Why does my Crucial P3 NVMe slow to a crawl and freeze Windows during large file copies?
I'm copying an Elden Ring installation between folders on the same 2TB Crucial P3 NVMe SSD in Windows 11. Large files initially transfer at roughly 500–600 MB/s, but…
Severe Texture and Object Pop-In Across Multiple Games
I'm getting really noticeable texture and object pop-in in nearly every game I play, including Lies of P, Judgment, Pragmata, and LEGO Batman: The Legend of the Dark…
Will a slower SSD noticeably affect coding or 3D modeling?
I'm building a PC and deciding between a fast 1TB NVMe SSD, such as the Lexar NM790 or Samsung 990 EVO Plus, and a slower 2TB option like…