Mysterious Data transfer speed issue

[averywdh]

Hey LTTforums, this is my first post here, so I'll try and include as much info as I possibly can

 

Computer info:

Performance: i7 12700k, 32gb 3200 RAM, RTX 3060ti

Storage: Crucial P3 1tb M.2 SSD (boot, windows 11), Crucial MX500 1tb (SSD storage), 2x Seagate ironwolf red 4TB (Raid 1, deep storage)

 

Alright, here's the problem.

 

When I transfer any large media folders, I get some odd data transfer speeds. (See below)

 

 

Then, I performed a test in HD Tune Pro (not really sure how to use this program honestly)

 

These speeds weren't great, so I figured something wasn't configured right in my BIOS.
I went to the bios and started tinkering around, learned that my m.2 ssd wasn't set to gen 3, which is what my drive is rated for.

 

Results, great success! (kinda)

 

HD Tune results after bios fix:

 

So, here's where I need help. I don't know where to go from this.

 

My disk-to-disk data transfer speeds are faster, but are inconsistent and still not as fast as you'd think it should be, going between 2 SSDs. Is there any fix to this? This issue is not present on my laptop.

 

Here's SMART health info on my drives

      

 

Thanks in advance! Hope I gave enough info to help with troubleshooting

[Eigenvektor]

33 minutes ago, averywdh said:

Are you copying to/from HDD or SSD here? Since you're copying photos, I assume this is many fairly small files. This has some overhead and will always stay below the theoretical maximum of your drives. If you're copying from the HDD, you also have to factor in seek time, which can have a large impact.

 

35 minutes ago, averywdh said:

I went to the bios and started tinkering around, learned that my m.2 ssd wasn't set to gen 3, which is what my drive is rated for.

What was it set to before?

 

Your other transfer is large files between SSDs, which is much better for throughput. Your SATA SSD has a write speed of around 500 MB/s. That's the limiting factor.

 

The faster speed you're seeing in the beginning is the result of write cache. Once that's exhausted you'll drop back down. If you're transferring a lot of data, the drive will also heat up as a result and slows down to protect itself. Make sure you have good airflow in your case.