NVME 970 EVO PLUS 100% Usage @ Games (And Freezing the PC)

[MyLittleFella]

So guys... This is it. My PC is freezing while gaming. First, I thought it was the GPU. But the GPU is 100% ok. Then, I started to check the disk usage and everytime I'm playing a DX12 game (BF5, Grid 2019) the game will freeze after a few minutes playing it, cause the disk will go to 100% usage outta nowhere. When I play BF5 from my Seagate HDD, it doesn't. The game runs flawlessly. So, what is it going on? Is this a problem w/ temperature? RMA? M.2. Slot?


Addtional Info:

Windows version: 1909 (clean fresh install from yesterday update), the same would happen w/ my old 1607 as well.

Latest NVIDIA Driver;

The problem doesn't happen when using the PC for other stuff, only games;

CS:GO and LoL running fine (DX9);

Haven't tried any other games cuz' everything stays on my HDD;

Latest firmware and driver from samsung magician;

 

 

I don't know guys, I'm really sad. That shit isn't cheap on Canada, US and specially for me who lives in south america. F*ck my life.

 

 

So, suggestions?

[ManyCoresGuy]

6 minutes ago, MyLittleFella said:

So guys... This is it. My PC is freezing while gaming. First, I thought it was the GPU. But the GPU is 100% ok. Then, I started to check the disk usage and everytime I'm playing a DX12 game (BF5, Grid 2019) the game will freeze after a few minutes playing it, cause the disk will go to 100% usage outta nowhere. When I play BF5 from my Seagate HDD, it doesn't. The game runs flawlessly. So, what is it going on? Is this a problem w/ temperature? RMA? M.2. Slot?


Addtional Info:

Windows version: 1909 (clean fresh install from yesterday update), the same would happen w/ my old 1607 as well.

Latest NVIDIA Driver;

The problem doesn't happen when using the PC for other stuff, only games;

CS:GO and LoL running fine (DX9);

Haven't tried any other games cuz' everything stays on my HDD;

Latest firmware and driver from samsung magician;

 

 

I don't know guys, I'm really sad. That shit isn't cheap on Canada, US and specially for me who lives in south america. F*ck my life.

 

 

So, suggestions?

How much free space do you have on your ssd?

 

[JoostinOnline]

When it goes to 100%, what's the transfer rate for both read and write? If it's low, then the controller is probably dying.

[MyLittleFella]

25 minutes ago, ManyCoresGuy said:

How much free space do you have on your ssd?

 

180GB from 465.

[MyLittleFella]

20 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

When it goes to 100%, what's the transfer rate for both read and write? If it's low, then the controller is probably dying.

I'm goin' to check it out tommow and I'll let you know. I'm gonna sleep now cuz tomorrow I got a test @ college.

[MyLittleFella]

.

[MyLittleFella]

19 hours ago, JoostinOnline said:

When it goes to 100%, what's the transfer rate for both read and write? If it's low, then the controller is probably dying.

For some reason I couldn't write a text uphere. So, there you have it. The screenshots. The quality is low cause I used an ThirpartyApp to use my cellphone as 2nd screen, since I only have 1 monitor. I took the screenshots from there. Check the timestamps. I was playing GRID 2019.

[MyLittleFella]

If anyone can help me I would really appreciate. Man, I'm almost giving up. I just wanna make sure that everything is ok and the SSD is the only thing broken here. Either way, I'm kinda down =(

 

What should I do?

 

This doesn't happen when I'm playing on my HDD barracuda, I tried Atto's benchmark = no problem; Tried Aida64 test = no problem. Why only games? Why on SSD only? God...

[JoostinOnline]

1 hour ago, MyLittleFella said:

If anyone can help me I would really appreciate. Man, I'm almost giving up. I just wanna make sure that everything is ok and the SSD is the only thing broken here. Either way, I'm kinda down =(

 

What should I do?

 

This doesn't happen when I'm playing on my HDD barracuda, I tried Atto's benchmark = no problem; Tried Aida64 test = no problem. Why only games? Why on SSD only? God...

Likely a failing controller. See if Samsung Magician has a firmware update, and if so, apply it. If not, then RMA the drive for a replacement.

[MyLittleFella]

So here’s the thing. I tried changing m2 slots and the problem stopped for that moment. Then, I put the sidepanel back on when it hits me: I never tried to check the temperature properly. So, after I changed m2 slots I just removed everything from the casemod (grills, panels, etc) and turned the AC on 21ºC (70ºF). Outcome? Nothing happened. No freezing at all. I played Formula1, BF5 and NFS Heat. And just to make things even interesting, I started making copies from files that were in my old Sata SSD to the nvme device… Nothing happened, again. I even recorded the screen as you can see below:

Once I did that, I put everything back on, turned off the AC and tried the same tests. Results? PC Freezing as I showed before. So I guess that’s it. I’m gonna invest a few bucks on better airflow for my casemod and get a m2 heatsink + artic thermal pads (a few of them I’m gonna use for my GPU which deserves some love as well).

I guess that’s it. Thank you everyone who helped me here. @JoostinOnline

[4nti0ch]

having same issue but no idea if it's because the disk usage is spiking up or not. i haven't been able to get a screenshot or check anything before it freezes. i have to get some more info i'll update just letting you guys know your not the only one.

[n3veR]

Hi

 

Same problem here.

Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500gb. Either on my MSI z97a gaming 6's m.2 slot, as well as in a pci express adapter that I bought since eitherway my board's m.2 slot slows down my 970 evo plus. So I bought the adapter which limits my gtx980 pcie slot to 8x so the 970 evo plus on the pcie adapter card can run at 4x and reach his max speeds. The pcie m.2 adapter comes with a heatsink (cheap one) and thermal compound to put on either side of the ssd. But the cooling in my case is not so good. The case has many fans but it is too "closed" without many spots where the air can flow.

 

The thing is when my pc freezes I don't see his temperature go higher than 58 ºC - 59 ºC (and I didn't see the temps in your screenshot go higher than that also), which was a thing that I immediately checked since there are many expensive M.2 ssd's on the market that have reported temperature problems.

I only have tried (I haven't tried games with less than dx12 lol, I have to check that out) Fortnite (with dx12) and Diablo3. Diablo 3 freezes EVERYTIME after loading and exactly when/if I start to move my character. And this is literaly everytime. If I don't move, it doesn't freeze lol. Fortnite freezes a bit after landing at main menu, either on BR as well as in Save the World.

Another thing I've crossed out of my list of causes is the disk itself not being in good health as many people here suggested because I went to the store and returned the first one (which was a 970 Evo 500GB, not the Plus) for the money back, and payed 10 more Euros and brought home this one, which has the exact same problem.

 

You're the only one, along with 4nt0ch in the last post of this thread, that have kind of the same problem. All other people that I find googling this issue are people whose the PC with 970 Evo freezes randomly, and not just in games, and not just in specific situations in games where the hard drive isn't or shouldn't be reading or writing much (D3 is after the loading when I move... Fortnite freezes in the menu after loading it.

 

Well, I'm going to try this now: remove my case's front panel and top panel which limits veeeeeerrrry much the airflow. But I don't believe it will work since here where I live it's below 10 ºC outside, and not much more here inside, and you said you turned your AC to 21 ºC, right?

Before or after that I will try games that are not dx12.

 

EDIT: Everything runs fine without the 970 Evo Plus (and without the 970 Evo previously). I mean, with Windows installed in one of the other drivers, 840 Evo or 850 Evo, and also the games in those drives.

Edited December 22, 2019 by n3veR
Adding something I forgot

[n3veR]

Well, I also opened all my case, and it is solved, lol. Then I closed the case and put my fans all to 100%. Never had those freezes again.

[MyLittleFella]

Yeah, that's odd, I mean, it's happening with a bunch of 970 users. I sold mine for a low price and the new owner knows the problem, he said it's ok cause he doesn't game on it. End of story.

[n3veR]

Lol, still trying here. I'm not being able to make it not freeze in games while having my pc case all closed. My PC case with all the covers, top and front also, limit a LOT of airflow even with 6 fans inside but only the back fan has wide holes for the air to pass. Well, I believe I will end up trying to return it, explaining the problem to them at the store because these temperatures should be acceptable in any scenario.

I don't know why I'm still trying because the disk is now with a thermal pad below, and a thermal pad with a heatsink on top, which came with the pci express m.2 adapter, and it is there that I get the best temps and it takes longer to freeze, but still, it freezes........

[n3veR]

I'm trying so much because is it possible that my friend that had the previously RMAed 970 Evo has so much better temperatures inside his case than me and that prevented this from happenning even during this last summer, here in Portugal with max. 42ºC outside and inside? Damn, this Evo Plus that replaced the 970 Evo that he gave me is freezing the whole pc at around 45ºC. That's almost the temperature outside in the summer. Maybe his case does the trick, I don't know......

[Samfisher]

Could always just buy a cheap 8cm fan and direct it at the M.2 slot.  It's what I do with my HDD cage since it's right in front of my radiator.

[n3veR]

Well, I ended up returning the 970 evo plus m.2 (500GB) to my friend who had given it to me before (he gave me the 970 evo, which I RMAed and they credited me the value, and with 10 more Euros I bought the Plus which I gave "back" to him). Well and he gave me instead his old 950 Pro m.2 (240GB) which works fine in the same conditions as the 970 evo plus won't work. It's half the disk space, but at least works.