PSA: Check your GPU thermal paste if you're getting throttling

Jun 6, 2026 at 8:48pm #1

Third GPU in two years started thermal throttling. Opened it up and the thermal paste was basically cement. Replaced it with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut and dropped 15C instantly.

If your card is 2+ years old and you're seeing random performance drops, this might be why. Just be careful with the screws — stripped one and had to use pliers.

Jun 7, 2026 at 7:00pm #2

This is actually wild. I've been blaming my drivers for random frame drops for months. Might be thermal throttling all along. How do you check?

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Jun 7, 2026 at 7:04pm #3

Seconding this. Repasted my 3080 after 3 years and it was night and day. Used Noctua NT-H2 instead of Kryonaut though - easier to apply and nearly identical performance.

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Jun 8, 2026 at 12:41pm #4

Download HWiNFO64 and watch your GPU temp + clock speed under load. If the clocks drop when temps hit 83-85C, that's thermal throttling. MSI Afterburner's overlay works too.

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