How to fix SN850 SLC cache failure in God of War DLC?
This was a total nightmare. Using a top-end SN850 and having the game just crash during DLC loads is unacceptable. The SLC cache on the WD SN850 2TB was getting overwhelmed by the massive amount of fragmented files, causing write speeds to tank from 6000MB/s to under 1000MB/s. This extreme dip triggered the game's read timeout and crashed everything. I tried formatting the drive and reinstalling the game, but it crashed at the exact same spot every time. It was a waste of hours. I eventually installed the latest official firmware from Western Digital and used a partition tool to ensure perfect 4K alignment. I also moved the system virtual memory from the disk partition to a reserved RAM area. CrystalDiskMark stress tests showed the random write variance narrowed from 150-800MB/s down to a steady 400-500MB/s, and the crashes stopped. I noticed a slight increase in idle power draw after the firmware update, but I don't care as long as the game works. Temps are stable at 48-55℃ with a load of 70-85%.
