The entire new PC is slowing down significantly, possibly due to no clear reason or a damaged CPU.
The entire new PC is slowing down significantly, possibly due to no clear reason or a damaged CPU.
It might be an app or utility attempting to update, backup, or simply connect to the network. It could also be trying to take over or fail to use system resources once completed. The software may have bugs or be corrupted. It starts automatically at startup through Task Manager or can be triggered later via Task Scheduler.
Check Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Performance Monitor, and Process Explorer. Use all four but only one at a time. Open the tool window immediately after booting and observe the changes. The visual outputs are likely most helpful.
Gain insight into what processes are running on the system. Keep the window open for review. After stabilization (no major changes), perform an action that typically slows performance—such as closing applications or restarting temporarily. Observe any shifts: starts, stops, resource adjustments.
The goal is to identify the responsible factor. This process may require some experimentation to determine the right approach. Remain patient and focus on establishing clear cause-and-effect relationships. Take your time; avoid making changes until you have a clearer understanding.
Tried a few more attempts. It’s strange how things improve once I’m willing to ask for help. I ran the Cinebench GPU test—something I didn’t even know existed. The PC performed well during both multicore and singlecore tests, but it slowed down noticeably when the GPU was under load; I got less than 100 points on a 3070, which is probably too low.
When I opened the side panel, I felt the intense heat from the GPU. It was extremely hot to the touch, yet the GPU still displayed only 56°C, with a slight drop below 70°C in the hotspot area.
In either case, I took out the card from its vertical mount (it was the NZXT H510i case—it was definitely pressing against the glass, leaving about 5mm between the fans and the panel). I also noticed the riser cable wasn’t fully plugged in; one side was only half inserted.
Now I’m puzzled about how the PC started up at all, let alone display any images. After reattaching the GPU properly and ensuring it was firmly connected, it booted up without any slowdowns so far.
I’m still unsure if the mounting issue was the problem, since it worked fine yesterday. But today I moved the case slightly, suspecting the riser cable might have come loose. The small plastic tab that keeps the GPU from sliding out was visible inside the case, so there was nothing physically blocking it.
From what I see, it seems like this issue has been resolved. It’s a bit ironic—I spent at least an hour trying before figuring it out and posting it here. Now it shows around 9300 points, which looks normal for the GPU.