Slow response for certain tasks

[Virgule]

Hello,

 

I have a problem with my current desktop that lately started to manifest itself. I'd like to get some feedback on potential solutions and if other users experienced something similar.

 

Specs : 

- Ryzen 1800x

- MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon

- 4x8GB GSkill TridentZ RGB 3000MHz

- Gigabyte GTX 1080ti Aorus

- Corsair RM1000i

- Samsung 950 Evo 512GB

- 2x Seagate 4TB

- CaseLabs BH8

- Bunch of custom loop watercooling gear

- Windows 10 Pro 64b

 

Context :

I have used my desktop for the past 6 months or so without an itch. I use it for a bit of image editing but most often a quick gaming session (LoL and PUBG) when I have a bit of free time. This problem started to manifest itself about two weeks ago.

As my system is packed with an extensive watercooling loop in a compact case that's not easy to work in, I'd like to gather knowledge on this issue before I act. Therefore, if I get a simple "test your motherboard with a different CPU" answer, it'll most likely be my 25th priority as it would imply 8 hours of work and a few hundred dollars. However, there are a multitude of simple tests I can perform (ex: benchmarks, bios updates, driver reinstalls, windows clean install, ...) if deemed important. This said, I'm open to opinions on the matter.

 

Problem :

So what I'm experiencing lately is a general slow/idling response from a certain type of tasks. Generally, the most evident manifestation of the problem comes when booting up or shutting down the system.

 

When I press the power button of the case, my motherboard LEDs light up, the radiator fans and pump start, everything powers up like it should except I don't have a video signal for a long time. I can see my keyboard LEDs light up, then shut down, then light up again, the shut down again, etc. until the system seems to catch on a boot. All the while, I don't have a video signal for about a minute and when it finally comes, Windows is signing in and I missed the RAID boot-up screen, the bios prompt and the bios splash screen. 

 

When I press the button to shut down, it used to shut down instantly closing all applications even if I'm in-game with tons of applications working. However, it doesn't anymore. Pressing the power button doesn't do anything and surprisingly it finally shuts down after a long lag (probably around a minute). Shutting down the computer using the start menu option has the same effect (negating the possibility of a problem with the front panel power button connection). If I want to shut down instantly I need to hold the power button down for a forced shut down.

 

This is generally the only manifestation of the problem I'm having as performance when the computer is booted seem unaffected. There is one thing I did noticed however, which I'm not sure is a manifestation of this same problem. Loading a lobby in PUBG has become abnormally long (maybe a minute or so). There is also a long portion of that loading during which I can't alt-tab and my system seems unresponsive. When I ctrl+alt+delete though, I do have an immediate response and after a few tries alt-tabbing between task manager and a browser or other windows, I can finally alt-tab out of the game. This could be associated to a recent update and I don't know if I should treat it a anything serious I should diagnose.

 

Well that's it. Thanks in advance for the help.

[TheGlenlivet]

Have any settings in windows power management been changed?  Maybe a windows update set something differently than you had it before.  There are specific settings for the power button there.

[Virgule]

No, the power button function is still set to shut down as it does currently, only after a long lag.

[Virgule]

New behavior. There was a shorter pause until I had video just now when I powered on, and I DID see the RAID screen the bios splash screen. Unfortunately, this screen (below) took a good minute to disappear. 

 

Also, I forgot to describe an odd thing as well. When I use chrome on pages that prompt a file explorer window (for instance to load a picture forum htlm entry box), after the selection has been made or if I close or cancel that window, Chrome becomes unresponsive for a moment. I can't close a tab for instance. I need to wait it out and then I can continue on.

[Virgule]

LOL I think I just figured it out... and I feel stupid.

 

Ok, long story short I bought a Samsung EVO 256GB mSD card and I was recently loading it with a ton of lossless music, which took forever with long idling pauses and kept giving errors. I tried a motherboard back I/O USB3.0 port thinking it might be due to a case port and I finally did a bit of research to confirm it was a fake flash card. I had forgotten it in the back motherboard port.

 

I think when booting the bios tried to identify the content first due to my boot order, process which kept crashing due to the quality to the flash drive. This would explain the long dragging boot-up. I took it out and the shut down problem seems gone as well...

 

I'll see if everything is back to normal and post if there's still a problem.

 

Thanks all for reading and sorry for wasting your time.