I've noticed my PC slowing down quite a bit lately, and I'm considering whether a clean reinstall of Windows would help or if it would just be a waste of time. A couple of years ago, I received a used PC as a gift with a 512GB SSD, and later added a 4TB Firecuda SSHD for extra storage. Both drives have plenty of free space. One major issue I'm facing is that my CPU tends to overheat, reaching close to 100°C while gaming. I recently cleaned out the dust, and my friend helped me with the fans and thermal paste replacement. Given all this, could any of it be causing my slow performance? Would a fresh install of Windows make a difference?
2 Answers
It sounds like your PC is struggling mainly due to the overheating issue. When the CPU gets too hot, it throttles performance to protect itself, which could definitely explain the slowdown. Since you mentioned that the thermal paste was replaced and the PC was cleaned, make sure the heatsink is properly secured and check if the fans are working efficiently. It's crucial to address the heat issue before thinking about reinstalling Windows.
Overheating can definitely cause your CPU to slow down significantly, even while performing simple tasks like opening File Explorer. It’s good you’re looking into the temperature issue first. Reinstalling Windows might help if there are other software problems contributing, but your main focus should be on cooling down that CPU!
I appreciate the feedback! I didn’t realize how much heat could affect everyday use. I’ll focus on cooling solutions first before considering a reinstall.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll double-check the heatsink and see if that’s the problem. I just assumed everything was fine because my friend did the work.