I've got a setup where Windows boots from an SSD, but I've noticed my HDD spikes to 100% usage, especially when I'm gaming. The HDD is relatively new and healthy, according to CrystalDisk. I'm starting to think it might be related to a recent Windows update, but I'm not entirely sure since I haven't seen anyone else report this issue. It's really frustrating! The HDD usage only jumps to 100% when I put a load on it; otherwise, it seems fine. Does anyone have insight on this?
4 Answers
There's a chance that something like a pagefile has been misplaced to the HDD instead of the SSD. Try checking Windows' Resource Monitor; look at the Disk tab and see which process spikes when your HDD hits that 100% mark. That might point you toward the culprit!
This behavior isn’t unusual for Windows. Mechanical HDDs often hit 100% usage under load, especially when running games or updates. SSDs handle that much better due to their faster I/O capacity. If the HDD is at 100% when you're using it normally, that's pretty standard; it just can't keep up with the demands like an SSD can.
You should clarify if it's truly pegged at 100% all the time or just jumping there during active read/write operations. HDDs naturally run slower because of how they work, so seeing high usage during gaming isn't shocking. Still, if that’s your only issue, it might just be part of how HDDs operate.
It could potentially be a bad drive. I faced a similar issue with my first PC build, and swapping out the drive resolved it for me. So, maybe consider getting it checked?
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