I've been using an old computer that usually runs most games at 60fps without any lag. I cleaned it the other day, like I do every three months, because it generally boosts performance. But now, after the cleaning, I'm experiencing terrible lag, and my frames have dropped to around 45fps. I only used a blower and a quick-drying alcohol cloth. While cleaning, I checked the thermal paste on my CPU, and it was in bad shape. I'm considering replacing the thermal paste, but I'm confused because everything was fine before I checked it. How can I resolve this?
1 Answer
Sounds like the main issue is that you took off the cooler. When you do that, you really should replace the thermal paste. The old paste can handle it as long as you don’t mess with it. Without fresh paste, there could be air gaps that cause overheating and performance issues. So, definitely get some new thermal paste and apply it before running any games again.
I had no idea either! Just ordered some thermal paste myself.