High end PC slowing down

LemurWithAFemur

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Jul 31, 2015
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Ever since a weeks ago, ive noticed that my PC (specs below) has been slowing down although i haven't done anything negative to it, hell i even bought a new water cooler that drastically improved my CPU temps. I like to play games like Destiny 2, Rainbow six siege, etc while watching stuff like Youtube, Twitch, or Hulu on the side, and for months i have had no problem doing that, not surprising with my specs. But recently when i have done that, both the stream and my game have noticeable lag, and i don't know what is causing it. Do you guys have any suggestions? Ive ran virus scans, and deleted every single program i didn't need, and closed every background program i didn't need in task manager to no avail. I turn my PC off every night so it isn't a problem of keeping it on too long. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Specs:
R7 1700 @ 4GHZ
NZXT X52
16GB Corsair 3GHZ ram
RX 480
 
First off that isn't really high spec anymore by today's standards. It's a two year old GPU model that's barely more powerful than a 970, and far from today's gold standard for high end spec, the 1080.

That said, it's all relative to what games you're playing. Things you can check for if this is happening in games that used to run well, is make sure your browser is updated, GPU drivers updated, and definitely check for dust build-up inside the PC.

Dust over the period of two years can reek havoc on CPU and GPU heatsinks if you haven't been cleaning them regularly. They should at least be cleaned once a year, more like every 3-6 months if you don't have filtered intakes, especially if you have pets, or a lot of dust in your area.

On an aging PC it's also a good idea to regularly check temps (GPU too) and voltage stability of your PSU.