HDD 100% usage spikes

[Nasalmirror]

Hello my friends. I have an acer predator helios 300 (ph315-51) with a m.2 hfs128g39tnd-n210a SSD and a 2.5 inch toshiba mq04abf100 HDD drive. Now, I noticed 1 second stutters throughout my windows (opening folders and programs) that happen apperently randomly, especially noticeable in some games (the stutters happen in some games, not in others). I found out that the stutters occur in proximity of a 100% usage HDD spikes, like the ones in the screenshots.

What could be the issue? Is it solvable? Is it maybe the 5400rpm of the drive that's too slow for certain application and games??
It's strange because it sometimes happens even when opening folders or zip files (that's what I was doing in the screeshots), that are stored on my D partition on the HDD..It's driving me crazy, so I'm open to all suggestions how to discover the issue and how to solve it! Thanks in advance

(sorry for any english mistake, for the grammar nazis )

[Radium_Angel]

19 minutes ago, Nasalmirror said:

Thanks in advance

What you need to do is first shut down everything not critical in your taskbar, and any open programs. Then monitor for spikes. If they go away, then it's something that autoloads when windows boots up. If it still occurs, then the problem is elsewhere. You can open up "Resource Monitor" from the taskmanager and there are much more detailed information on drive activity and usage that should help pinpoint things.

[Nasalmirror]

1 minute ago, Radium_Angel said:

What you need to do is first shut down everything not critical in your taskbar, and any open programs. Then monitor for spikes. If they go away, then it's something that autoloads when windows boots up. If it still occurs, then the problem is elsewhere. You can open up "Resource Monitor" from the taskmanager and there are much more detailed information on drive activity and usage that should help pinpoint things.

I did boot up in Safe Mode, but I can't monitor anything from the Task manager not the resource monitor, the graphs are not showing, probably because it doesn't load some drivers. The issue seems to be occurring anyway, because I can hear phisically the HDD ramping up the RPM when the stutter occur, and that's what I heard just clicking around folders in safe mode.

[Radium_Angel]

5 minutes ago, Nasalmirror said:

I did boot up in Safe Mode, but I can't monitor anything from the Task manager not the resource monitor, the graphs are not showing, probably because it doesn't load some drivers. The issue seems to be occurring anyway, because I can hear phisically the HDD ramping up the RPM when the stutter occur, and that's what I heard just clicking around folders in safe mode.

Right, not asking you to start in safe mode, just kill off things that reside in your taskbar that aren't critical to the running of Windows.

I see all manner of icons of programs that are sitting resident doing who knows what.

[Nasalmirror]

1 hour ago, Radium_Angel said:

Right, not asking you to start in safe mode, just kill off things that reside in your taskbar that aren't critical to the running of Windows.

I see all manner of icons of programs that are sitting resident doing who knows what.

Ok sorry, I thought it was the same thing I turned off everything, left only nvidia panel (turned off bluetooth and wifi also) but nothing, stutters occur anyway, same as in the screenshots in my first post.

[genexis_x]

You're not the first that complaining this issue in this Acer model (not sure Helios 300 or Nitro 5 though)

 

Have you tried clean Windows installation? (not reset)

[Nasalmirror]

Just now, GeneXiS_X said:

You're not the first that complaining this issue in this Acer model (not sure Helios 300 or Nitro 5 though)

 

Have you tried clean Windows installation? (not reset)

I was thinking about it. But the laptop came without Windows, I installed it personally, latest version, latest drivers. I checked out some forums about the issue, and tried everything suggested but nothing works for now. Would you reinstall the windows just to be sure?

[genexis_x]

1 minute ago, Nasalmirror said:

Would you reinstall the windows just to be sure?

I'll give it a try, if not just go for warranty

[Nasalmirror]

Just now, GeneXiS_X said:

I'll give it a try, if not just go for warranty

Yeah, the warranty would be kinda annoying, since I bought it abroad of my country. I'll give it a try and gonna update you later on the issue. So, it's to be excluded that the drive is too slow for certain applications?

 

[genexis_x]

24 minutes ago, Nasalmirror said:

So, it's to be excluded that the drive is too slow for certain applications?

Can't tell since I'm noob in software side things

[Arvy]

1 hour ago, GeneXiS_X said:

I'll give it a try, if not just go for warranty

I just reinstalled Windows, and nothing...the spikes are still here. I seriously don't know what to do...at least I'd like to know what's the issue, if it's HDD related or PC related. Strange thing is, my sister's Y530 from lenovo does the same thing in some games, like Grim Dawn (which is poorly optimized but still, same spikes, in the same moments in game). Plus the thing that bothers me is that I don't have problems in games like Witcher 3 (everything on high settings) and GTA5, but I do in Divinity Original Sin 2, where even opening a chest sometimes brings up the stutters..

[Tsuki]

your screenshots dont really show any information thats actually useful. just that a spike happened.

it could be any number of a million different things.

 

most common things i see are windows updates, windows search, or Superfetch causing it.  

disable superfetch first and see what happens.  

 

it could also just be your 5400 rpm drive isnt up to snuff.  consider replacing it with a 7200 or an ssd and see if it still happens

[Arvy]

1 minute ago, Tsuki said:

your screenshots dont really show any information thats actually useful. just that a spike happened.

it could be any number of a million different things.

 

most common things i see are windows updates, windows search, or Superfetch causing it.  

disable superfetch first and see what happens.  

 

it could also just be your 5400 rpm drive isnt up to snuff.  consider replacing it with a 7200 or an ssd and see if it still happens

I have superfetch disabled. How would I try and see what's causing it??

[Tsuki]

1 minute ago, Arvy said:

I have superfetch disabled. How would I try and see what's causing it??

you have process explorer.   use it

 

it will tell you exactly whats causing the high usage when it happens

[Arvy]

Just now, Tsuki said:

you have process explorer.   use it

 

it will tell you exactly whats causing the high usage when it happens

Yes, I tried, but it's very confusing...I think I might to see some tutorial I don't understand what the graphs show me, and the data in the columns are real time, so no real use for me, since the issue isn't simply reproducible...

[Arvy]

3 hours ago, Tsuki said:

you have process explorer.   use it

 

it will tell you exactly whats causing the high usage when it happens

Well I tried it and it's still consufing. On the I/O graph, when spikes occur, it says exactly what program is reading or writing, but it's everything. I mean, if opening a folder, it's gonna say explorer, if opening firefox (even if on SSD) it's gonna say firefox, if stutter are in game, it's gonna say the game i'm playing..or maybe i'm just dumb and i'm not getting how to use that thing..meh my investigation will continue tomorrow