# Plex transcoder SSD usage **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532 "2017-11-09T17:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/1 "2017-11-09T17:24:22Z")
Hi @ all, although I have my plex transcoder pointed to a RAM disk my SSD usage is extremely high. [![](http://abload.de/img/ssdplex7bjyl.png) ](http://abload.de/img/ssdplex7bjyl.png) I can see the transcoded session in the RAM disk, but why is my SSD usage still so high? it is definitely PLEX, because nothing else is running on that machine that could write to the SSD so much. I guess plex is performing writes to the SSD before transcoding into RAM. can anybody help me here? best wishes ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/2 "2017-11-09T17:36:18Z")
I guess I narrowed it down: ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/5/9/5934b8d677fe1866decbc920d1a8cc2d29c1b25b.png) There is still a PhotoTranscoder folder on the SSD which is not touched by the plex transcoder settings (which point to the RAM disk). why is this folder 4GB in size and why is it used daily and written to? can this be moved to the RAMdisk? ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/3 "2017-11-09T17:44:05Z")
This folder holds all the resized/optimized picture thumbnails of all kinds which appear in the various Plex clients in various sizes. This is not “transient” data, so it cannot really be moved to RAM disk. Disable the following “Plex Butler” jobs under Settings - Server - Scheduled Tasks - Remove old cache files every week - Refresh local metadata every three days - Refresh metadata periodically and monitor daily writing rates on this folder for at least a week and compare it with the previous rates. ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/4 "2017-11-09T17:49:59Z")
done. will report back in a week. thanks for helping me out. is there any downside to now NOT refreshing metadata periodicallly/refreshing it every 3 days? ---
**Author:** ![Cabel330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cabel330](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Cabel330)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/5 "2017-11-09T17:58:05Z")
Also disable Windows search in Services. This is a SSD killer. Should be off, if Windows detect a SSD. But every bigger update it is on again. ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/6 "2017-11-10T13:37:44Z")
it is still creating phototranscoder activity like crazy: ![](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/uploads/default/original/3X/8/a/8a2c641303fa3503490f28c07d5749e76df031c4.png) ---
**Author:** ![Cabel330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cabel330](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Cabel330)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/7 "2017-11-10T13:50:56Z")
Your Clients are responsible for that! Take a look at this discussion, please. > **[PhotoTranscoder directory \>100GB. Why?](https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/295089/phototranscoder-directory-100gb-why#latest)** > > I am running PMS 1.9.6.4429 on an Ubuntu 14.04 VM. I have changed Transcoding path in my server settings to help save space, but I have another problem. My PhotoTranscoder folder is currently 114 GB in size. I understand that this is where library... (…) That’s the thumbnails of all the images that get sent to your clients. No need to send full sized images so pms creates these smaller ones ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/8 "2017-11-10T13:53:27Z")
ok, but why are there so many thumbs created? that is insane. and how do I point that to RAMdisk so my SSD won’t die in a year or two? ---
**Author:** ![Cabel330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cabel330](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Cabel330)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/9 "2017-11-10T13:56:26Z")
I wouldn´t recommend that to Point into RamDisk. Except you have 100GB+ RamDisk. That are all Picture´s from actors, covers,… all your Clients “open”,creating those Little pictures by looking for a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Cabel330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cabel330](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Cabel330)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/10 "2017-11-10T13:57:06Z")
Your SSD won´t die because of this!How big is your SSD? ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/11 "2017-11-10T14:10:45Z")
I have a 256 GB NVMe disk and already 2 terabyte written because of this. I am going to create a symlink that points to RAMdisk. Folder will be deleted every 3 days automatically since it only stores the transcoded pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Cabel330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cabel330](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Cabel330)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/12 "2017-11-10T14:13:23Z")
Like Otto wrote you can: Disable the following “Plex Butler” jobs under Settings - Server - Scheduled Tasks Remove old cache files every week Refresh local metadata every three days Refresh metadata periodically But you can try it your way. If you want you can Report back how and if it works. ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/13 "2017-11-10T14:48:56Z")
I already followed Ottos advice, but every access creates writes to the SSD cache folder (photo thumbnails) again. So obviously it is not avoidable. That is the reason I am pointing it to the RAMdisk. I guess Plex is clever enough to remove old photo-cache files when the ramDisk gets full. ---
**Author:** ![Cabel330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cabel330](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Cabel330)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/14 "2017-11-10T14:54:20Z")
> but every access creates writes to the SSD cache folder > Yes, right. And if you disable what Otto said than they stay there and they aren´t created again. > I delete the Folder myself if it gets to big. > I guess Plex is clever enough to remove old photo-cache files when the ramDisk gets full. I don´t know if Plex will do this or complain with an error. You can try it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![max\_plexibility](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@max\_plexibility](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_plexibility)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/15 "2017-11-10T20:25:09Z")
I disabled ottos tasks and new files were created every access. I did not want to create an infinite number of thumbnails that would make my SSD burst. I wanted to stop them being created completely. but I guess that it isn’t possible. so now I am building them in RAM and hope they are deleted when they are “old”. I guess they are deleted weekly now. I just hope that 10 GB are enough for that. because my RAMdisk is not larger than that. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-transcoder-ssd-usage/213532/16 "2020-01-08T00:07:13Z")