Essential and extremely impactful if you are running games on a HDD, the way they're supposed to be. I don't experience slow loading times or lag/freezes and I play on ultra settings at 1080p getting very high FPS. Only a fool would load games onto an SSD but lazy developers are pushing more unknowing fools into doing just that, when its not needed or recommended at all. A game like Starfield that is constantly writing to disk will obliterate an SSD, but with this mod you can keep Starfield on your mechanical HDD. Endorsed and voted 👍
Finally, a voice of reason. I'm amazed how many people who are just 'tech enthusiasts, bro, I love tech, bro' have no clue what they're talking about. Offloading onto SSD has its uses, but is being used as a crutch that is going to bite a lot of programs in the butt in the future, especially as filesize only increases.
Wish I could kudo a comment, but I hope this counts.
I have a samsung SSD from 2015, still with 93% drive health. Used daily over a decade now, both for games and for holding system page file.
Not gonna act like I'm tech savy on this topic, but it is what it is.
From my perspective, build quality and unallocated disk space to swap bad sectors will, by far, be the most determining factors for how long your SSD will last.
That's it. Install SFSE into the root directory as usual. Install Address Library via your mod manager as usual. Install Updated ASI Loader the same way as Address Library like any other SFSE plugin. Then when you have all of those, use your mod manager (or place it manually) the Disk Cache Enabler ASI into either the root folder, or data. Ultimate ASI loader is not needed. You can check the ASI plugin is loaded by going into your My Games and checking the SFSE logs.
Edit (August 24th, 2024): For clarity, the SFSE version does NOT work as of writing this or when I wrote my initial comment. You have to use the ASI version for now until this mod gets updated or forked. The ASI version works as intended, and is a noticeable improvement even on an SSD.
Omg yes, that's so much better. It might be one more middle-man in the clumsy chain between Starfield update / SFSE update / patch release, but delay is often preferable to confusion.
Hi, any reason why i'm not seeing the ASI plugin in my SFSE logs in My Games? I installed all the above listed via mod manager and correctly as far as i know. Would love to get this to work im pretty desperate to get this poorly optimized game to work correctly lmao
The only thing I can think of (assuming that the ASI loader is installed properly) is that you don't have the ASI for this mod in the correct location. Keep in mind it's slightly different than most mods, and it can be in multiple locations. However, one place it shouldn't be is in the SFSE/Data directory. It should either be in the Root folder (where the Starfield.exe is), the Data directory, or in a Plugins folder within the Root directory. In my opinion, if you're using Vortex, I'd just manually download it and drop it into the Root directory. If you're using MO2, put it in the data directory via its interface. Though one thing to keep in mind is that MO2 will say the "data" is not valid, so you'll need to ignore that.
I'm confused by your post. Does this mod now only work if using the ASI version of the mod, not the SFSE version?
If I use MO2, and I used SFSE, am I still OK using the SFSE version through MO2? -OR- Are you saying because the mod hasn't been updated everyone has to use the ASI version now?
Sorry I'm confused, I'd like to still use this mod.
This is a valid question. I just assumed everyone knows. Oops.
To answer it: the SFSE version does NOT work as of writing this or when I wrote my initial comment. You have to use the ASI version for now until this mod gets updated or forked. The ASI version works as intended, and is a noticeable improvement even on an SSD.
I will add this to my initial comment to avoid confusion for future commenters.
So, would I be correct in assuming that me, as a MO2 / SFSE user, but download the ASI version of this mod, via MO2 Mod Manager download, and install via MO2, and it will do the rest for it to work?
I don't need to do any renaming, and I don't need to download any ASI Loader or ASI Ultimate (I'm not familiar with ASI or ever used it, never needed to, so excuse my ignorance on that subject matter).
ASI is a format that needs to be loaded into the game. This is why I made my initial post. You will still need, SFSE (even though you are using the ASI version), Address Library, and the Updated ASI Loader. This is because the game natively does not load ASI files. You only need Address Library and SFSE because the Updated ASI Loader requires them.
In short, follow my initial instructions. Download the three mods I linked, then install this mod using MO2 at top level i.e. don't have it in a subfolder when you install it in MO2. You can install Address Library and the Updated ASI Loader like any other SFSE plugin. SFSE will need to be installed in the root (where the Starfield.exe is) as usual.
This is how MO2 should look when you double click on disk cache enabler in the right pane. It will say the content is not valid, but ignore that.
Edit: You do NOT need the ultimate ASI loader. That is definitely more complex than needed. The Updated ASI Loader includes all of that functionality in an easy to use package. Just install it like any other SFSE plugin. This will allow the game to load ASI files.
Don't use Ultimate ASI Loader or rename things or move stuff around if following my instructions. I know it sounds complicated, but once you've done it, it will make sense.
I followed all your directions, it worked! I checked in my SFSE logs and the ASI Updater gets loaded by SFSE successfully and then I went checking the ASI Loader logs and it shows this mod gets loaded successfully. YAY! Thank you so much for your help and knowledge on this!!! :)
Any chance you could tell me where you found the ASI logs? I have confirmed that SFSE is loading ASI, but I'm not sure where to look to confirm that disk cache enabler is being loaed.
You can find the log from "C:\Users\*\Documents\My Games\Starfield\SFSE\Logs". It is called "SFSEAsiLoader.log".
Much appreciated! Just found it, and it confirmed that the mod was being loaded. This game is very unforgiving to hardware; I need every advantage I can get. 😁
Thank you for this. The errors saying it didn't install correct etc that it was giving me threw me off. Once I read your message, proceeded to ignore the warning pop ups and it works!
I switched to an SSD recently but I just wanna say that I am grateful for your mod for making it possible on HDDs. You carried Bethesda. Keep up supporting low end hardware.
SSD is never needed for games, 99% of all games made even today dont have SSD requirements... starfield just doesn't utilize HDD for some reason, because bethesda sucks!
If i can play vr games fine on HDD, and halo games, and gta games and more, then i should be fine here!
If I sat someone down in front of 2 computers with a HDD and an SSD except for the loading times, you'd not be able to tell the difference... They don't increase FPS just loading times..
Also, videos have been posted where someone shown the read/write speeds of a HDD being used while playing starfield.. guess what? STARFIELD DOESN'T UTILIZE THE HDD FOR SOME STUPID REASON!
This mod however lets you play with HDD with zero issues. Also, the images posted by the mod creator prove that... even then it's not fully using the drive for some stupid reasons...
All HDD's come with different cache and read write speeds, the top end like "western digital blacks and barricuda pros" have speeds that are almost half that of a SATA-SSD and that's damn good, you can get way slower ones, depends how much you want to spend on a HDD and if you're smart enough not to buy CRAP..
Name some. SSD is never required to work properly. Anyone that believes that is part of the new generation and born after 2000s This mod basically proves the point, why else would this be a thing
Works great for me with the SFSE method. Haven't tried ASI. Nothing worse than having a brand new high end PC and games like this still run badly. I was going to just move the game to my SSD but this made it run smoothly on my firecuda HDD so thanks! Loading times have increased but that's fine by me.
Just wondering does this mod or the SFSE break achievements?
Yup, this mod is still working as advertised with the new Starfield Update 1.14.74.
~IF~ you are an SFSE user AND you use the ASI version--- just follow Audley's instructions below (and/or the instructions I also posted below).
Again, the SFSE version is no longer working, HOWEVER, the ASI version is STILL working for SFSE users, if you do the work-around described by Audley (or myself) in a previous post below.
A proper SFSE version update would be nice, but we make do, and the ASI work-around works fine, and it's easy to do. :)
REMINDER: SFSE Users who use the ASI versionwork-around... don't forget that SFSE ASI Loader Updated was indeed recently updated for 1.14.74, so if DCE stopped working for you, make sure you update your ASI Loader ! :)
Thank you to the author for sharing this. This mod significantly reduces stuttering while running around the city. I have an M2 SSD, and my FPS is between 100-130 in the city and 170-230 indoors. However, I often experience stuttering when I first enter the city. This mod greatly reduces that kind of stuttering.When the hardware is sufficient, this mod can resolve the only root cause of stuttering in the game.
675 comments
Wish I could kudo a comment, but I hope this counts.
Used daily over a decade now, both for games and for holding system page file.
Not gonna act like I'm tech savy on this topic, but it is what it is.
From my perspective, build quality and unallocated disk space to swap bad sectors will, by far, be the most determining factors for how long your SSD will last.
Starfield Script Extender
Address Library for SFSE
Updated ASI Loader
That's it. Install SFSE into the root directory as usual. Install Address Library via your mod manager as usual. Install Updated ASI Loader the same way as Address Library like any other SFSE plugin. Then when you have all of those, use your mod manager (or place it manually) the Disk Cache Enabler ASI into either the root folder, or data. Ultimate ASI loader is not needed. You can check the ASI plugin is loaded by going into your My Games and checking the SFSE logs.
Edit (August 24th, 2024): For clarity, the SFSE version does NOT work as of writing this or when I wrote my initial comment. You have to use the ASI version for now until this mod gets updated or forked. The ASI version works as intended, and is a noticeable improvement even on an SSD.
Literally install everything with a mod manager and it works, WITHOUT renaming anything.
It literally loads the .asi and its done lol
The only thing I can think of (assuming that the ASI loader is installed properly) is that you don't have the ASI for this mod in the correct location. Keep in mind it's slightly different than most mods, and it can be in multiple locations. However, one place it shouldn't be is in the SFSE/Data directory. It should either be in the Root folder (where the Starfield.exe is), the Data directory, or in a Plugins folder within the Root directory. In my opinion, if you're using Vortex, I'd just manually download it and drop it into the Root directory. If you're using MO2, put it in the data directory via its interface. Though one thing to keep in mind is that MO2 will say the "data" is not valid, so you'll need to ignore that.
If I use MO2, and I used SFSE, am I still OK using the SFSE version through MO2?
-OR-
Are you saying because the mod hasn't been updated everyone has to use the ASI version now?
Sorry I'm confused, I'd like to still use this mod.
This is a valid question. I just assumed everyone knows. Oops.
To answer it: the SFSE version does NOT work as of writing this or when I wrote my initial comment. You have to use the ASI version for now until this mod gets updated or forked. The ASI version works as intended, and is a noticeable improvement even on an SSD.
I will add this to my initial comment to avoid confusion for future commenters.
So, would I be correct in assuming that me, as a MO2 / SFSE user, but download the ASI version of this mod, via MO2 Mod Manager download, and install via MO2, and it will do the rest for it to work?
I don't need to do any renaming, and I don't need to download any ASI Loader or ASI Ultimate (I'm not familiar with ASI or ever used it, never needed to, so excuse my ignorance on that subject matter).
In short, follow my initial instructions. Download the three mods I linked, then install this mod using MO2 at top level i.e. don't have it in a subfolder when you install it in MO2. You can install Address Library and the Updated ASI Loader like any other SFSE plugin. SFSE will need to be installed in the root (where the Starfield.exe is) as usual.
This is how MO2 should look when you double click on disk cache enabler in the right pane. It will say the content is not valid, but ignore that.
Edit: You do NOT need the ultimate ASI loader. That is definitely more complex than needed. The Updated ASI Loader includes all of that functionality in an easy to use package. Just install it like any other SFSE plugin. This will allow the game to load ASI files.
Don't use Ultimate ASI Loader or rename things or move stuff around if following my instructions. I know it sounds complicated, but once you've done it, it will make sense.
@StrandedAbyss
You can find the log from "C:\Users\*\Documents\My Games\Starfield\SFSE\Logs". It is called "SFSEAsiLoader.log".
If i can play vr games fine on HDD, and halo games, and gta games and more, then i should be fine here!
If I sat someone down in front of 2 computers with a HDD and an SSD except for the loading times, you'd not be able to tell the difference... They don't increase FPS just loading times..
Also, videos have been posted where someone shown the read/write speeds of a HDD being used while playing starfield.. guess what? STARFIELD DOESN'T UTILIZE THE HDD FOR SOME STUPID REASON!
This mod however lets you play with HDD with zero issues. Also, the images posted by the mod creator prove that... even then it's not fully using the drive for some stupid reasons...
All HDD's come with different cache and read write speeds, the top end like "western digital blacks and barricuda pros" have speeds that are almost half that of a SATA-SSD and that's damn good, you can get way slower ones, depends how much you want to spend on a HDD and if you're smart enough not to buy CRAP..
Is it nice to have? Oh yeah.
Just wondering does this mod or the SFSE break achievements?
~IF~ you are an SFSE user AND you use the ASI version--- just follow Audley's instructions below (and/or the instructions I also posted below).
Again, the SFSE version is no longer working, HOWEVER, the ASI version is STILL working for SFSE users, if you do the work-around described by Audley (or myself) in a previous post below.
A proper SFSE version update would be nice, but we make do, and the ASI work-around works fine, and it's easy to do. :)
REMINDER:
SFSE Users who use the ASI version work-around... don't forget that SFSE ASI Loader Updated was indeed recently updated for 1.14.74, so if DCE stopped working for you, make sure you update your ASI Loader ! :)